Till Divorce Do Us Part
by kiwichick11
Summary: Clary's a sceptic of love: she's a lawyer who specialises in divorce and has seen her fair share of bad relationships. The day she meets Jace Lightwood is the day that she begins to question everything she believes about men and love. OOC. Clace, Simabelle, Malec.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The bar was small and packed. A group of six men sat at a table drinking beer and joking with one another. It was a buck's night and the men were enjoying a night without their female counterparts.

"Hey Smithy! Your shout next mate!"

The man called Smithy grinned and stood up. He was drunk enough to not care about having to shout six beers and six shots, but he was not drunk enough to need to steady himself as he stood up and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and sauntered up to the busy bar.

* * *

><p>The young woman sitting by herself on a lounge in the corner of the bar was busy fiddling with her cell phone. Numerous men had walked up to her and attempted to engage her in conversation, and the woman chatted with each them for a while but kindly rebuffed their flirting attempts.<p>

She was here for a job tonight and she was not allowing herself to get distracted.

It just would not do.

* * *

><p>'Joey! Mate, check out that chick behind you mate! She's been eyeing you for a while now!'<p>

The man called Joey smirked and slowly turned in the direction his friends were looking in. He knew she had been checking him out. He could see her reflection in the mirror behind the bar. Their eyes had met a couple of times, but she had always quickly averted her eyes, smiling shyly.

Joey turned around in his seat fully and openly started at the woman. She was gazing off in the distance while twirling her cell between her fingers, but appeared to feel the force of six gazes and slowly turned her head to meet them. She quirked an eyebrow and offered a lopsided smile. The five men behind Joey snickered and then continued on with their bantering.

Joey did not turn around. She was still gazing at him. Suddenly, a tall man cut into his line of view and sat down next to the woman. The woman looked at Joey for a few more moments before turning her head to the new comer.

Joey saw her smile and start talking before turning back in his seat to his group of friends.

* * *

><p>The woman talked to the tall man for all of five minutes. She was excellent in the art of men and knew exactly what to say to get him to talk to her and then how to get him to walk away. Usually she kept it to friendly banter about the club and about himself. No man who ever met her while she was working would ever get to know her. Alone after rebuffing the tall man, the woman shifted her eyes to the group of six men.<p>

She smiled to herself. She knew they were fairly drunk. Their voices became more rowdy and their jeering at the man she guessed was the 'groom to be' became more sex orientated. She stood and slowly made her way to the bar.

* * *

><p>Joey felt a push against his back. Annoyed, he turned expecting to see some clumsy ass but instead was greeted with the sight of the woman by the couch walking away from him towards the bar. He saw her walk to the side of the bar and take a seat on a stool.<p>

She paid him no attention.

* * *

><p>She waited. She knew his friends would make him buy the next round of drinks. She had calculated her timing so that she would be by the bar when he came.<p>

She did not need to wait long.

* * *

><p>Joey walked up to the bar and waited. There was only one bar tender and he was busy with the group of people down the other side of the bar.<p>

Rapping his knuckles on the wooden surface in an impatient manner, he scanned the room. He wondered where the woman by the couches had gone. He thought she must have left since he couldn't see her by the couches. Then he remembered she had walked up to the bar sometime ago. He turned and was met with the gaze of the woman.

She was cast half in shadow and was twirling a straw around her drink. It was still full.

She looked up at him and offered him a smile.

It was captivating.

She was captivating.

She had office clothes on: a silk blouse that gaped at the buttons showing that the shirt was straining across her chest, and he knew from watching her earlier that she was wearing a black skirt.

His eyes roamed her. God, if only he did not have Kaelie.

She smiled at him again and began to stand up.

* * *

><p>Gotcha! she thought.<p>

She knew by now he would be easy. It was like that with all men. Weak creatures they were.

She saw him sizing her up and smiled at him.

Deciding she had had enough fun, she stood up and moved towards him.

Sighing internally, she realised this was going to be a poorly paid night.

* * *

><p>3 hours after the woman made her way over to the man called Joey at the bar, another young woman sitting at home alone received a text message:<p>

_I'm sorry. I do not expect payment._


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey guys,_

_So this is my first fanfic. I'm kind of nervous. Please, please let me know what you think. At the moment I'm sort of setting the scene and all that. Jace will come in soon. Because I'm obviously in love with him of course. *sigh*._

_So disclaimer: Characters are all Ms Clare's, with my own twist._

_I sometimes have a foul mouth, so if the characters swear occasionally, please don't be offended. It is M for the suggested adult themes, and if this story progresses, then it will become more M'ish. I'm also a Law student in Australia, so if something's are unfamiliar to my Northern Hemisphere readers (such as phrases, spelling etc) I apologise._

_Okay, well please give it a go!_

_Oh and it is Out Of Character. _

* * *

><p>BANG!<p>

'Oh God Clary! Get the hell out of bed! I can't find my god damn razor!'

Clary groaned. She forgot to lock the door again, and her housemate was screeching like a banshee.

Her cell read 7.38am.

Life sucked.

'CLARY!'

From her spot on the bed, Clary yelled out to Maia who seemed to be looking in the kitchen by the sounds of the clinking of glass, 'Ugh! Maia! I brought new razors last week, and threw out our old ones! Check the top drawer!'

Maia ran past Clary's room and dashed into the bathroom.

'Found them! Thanks!'

SLAM

* * *

><p>Forty minutes later, Clary and Maia were walking down the street. They were dressed in office attire and both held briefcases.<p>

'Ok so we know that the Anderson case should be settled today. And hopefully the Till and George dispute will become more clear. I hate not knowing what happens to the kids.'

'Clary, seriously. Everything will be ok. We've been in this job since graduation and we both know Maryse and Robert are the best family lawyers in town.'

Clary sighed. Maia was right. Clary and Maia had been working at Lightwood Family Lawyers for the past eight months since they had both graduated from Law school.

Clary had a love hate relationship with law. She loved the sense of purpose she got from being a lawyer, but she hated the complexities, the loopholes, the parts of the law that were just so damn unfair.

As the girls rounded the corner to the entrance of Lightwood Family Lawyers, a young girl about their age walked out. She looked seriously pissed off, and a voice was yelling after her.

'Isabelle Lightwood! How dare you walk away from me!'

'Oh for fuck's sake mum! I'm marrying Simon and that's it! I don't give a crap about a pre-nup. I love him, he loves me. If you can't see that, then go to hell.'

Maia and Clary looked at one another. Clearly this was a private argument, but given that it was in the middle of the street, overhearing couldn't be avoided. Clary looked at the girl. She had long black hair and a face hard to forget. It was stunning. Clary could tell she was Maryse Lightwood's daughter. The resemblance was uncanny.

The girl stormed off in the opposite direction to the one Clary and Maia had come. She didn't see them and probably wouldn't have paid them any attention even if she did. Clary and Maia walked up the stairs and came face to face with Maryse who look grim.

'Stupid girl. She is so hot headed. I only offered to draw up a pre-nup for her.'

Clary and Maia gave non-committal gestures. It was an awkward situation to be in. As family lawyers, they knew that a pre-nup was useful in events where a couple split up. It made things so much clearer. Yet clearly someone as young as Isabelle was not even considering the idea of breaking up.

'Well, shall we get started for the day girls? We've a lot to do, and the Till and George case should be going to conference soon.'

Maia and Clary grinned. Maryse kept her personal and business life separate and was able to cleanly move on from a mishap in one part of her life to the other part of her life.

'Sure, let's do it!' Clary smiled and started towards the glass doors of Lightwood Family Lawyers.

God she loved her job some days.

* * *

><p>Word of mouth was a powerful thing. Isabelle Lightwood knew this. It was how she came to know Simon liked her. It was how she came to know that her brother Jace was a player. It was how she came to know that her parents were wanting her to sign a pre-nup with her fiancé. It was also how she came to know about the urban myth she was currently seeking.<p>

Her friend Aline had told her about Kaelie, who had found out her boyfriend was a cheater. The idea of a 'cheat detector' was comical to Isabelle. Some people did the most ridiculous things. But after the argument with her mother, Isabelle began to wonder if her mother was right. She and Simon had only been together 7 months before getting engaged. He was in the army, and this alone caused her mother qualms. She knew that Simon would never cheat on her. But she also knew she was biased. She was young and in love, but not so stupid as to believe that they would love happily ever after. Isabelle did not believe in forever. Her parents had told her numerous times of couples who broke up, got divorced, had child disputes and even of domestic violence and family protection orders. Family just didn't mean what it used to.

Isabelle sighed as she dialled the number Aline had given her. She was anxious to say the least, especially since from what she heard, the boyfriend had cheated.

'Hello?' a sniffly voice asked.

Isabelle grimaced. Gross. She could only imagine what the face looked like.

'Hi, Kaelie? It's Isabelle Lightwood, I'm not sure if you remember me. We used to go to school together.'

'Isabelle? Yea I remember you. What do you want?'

The voice still sounded sniffly. Isabelle wondered how to be tactful.

'Well, I spoke to Aline the other day. She was telling me about you and um… Joey.'

Isabelle winced. She knew it was a dangerous conversation. She would be pissed off if some girl called her up asking about her ex-boyfriend.

'aaahhhh, he was a jerk. An asehole, why the fuck did he have to do that to me?' Kaelie was ranting high pitch down the phone.

Isabelle wisely removed the phone from her ear.

'Listen Kaelie. I know it's painful to think about. No girl should have to go through that. If he cheated on you he is not worth it. But I think you can help me. I want to know if my fiancé might cheat on me. I want to know I'm not going to get heartbroken. Please, I really think that if you can tell me more about how you found out he cheated on you, I can avoid what you are going through.' Isabelle held her breath. There was silence on the other side of the line.

'Please Kaelie'.

Silence

A sigh. 'Ok Isabelle. But do you really want to know? I truly thought that Joey would always be mine. That he would never cheat. I heard about this girl who finds out these things...'

Isabelle listened carefully to what Kaelie told her. Slowly she began to get an idea of what was involved.

* * *

><p>Clary looked around the bar. Too many men she decided. Tonight she was working and she couldn't get distracted. She sat alone in a corner on a stool. A couple of men had come up to her, but she wasn't interested in playful banter tonight. One guy however didn't seem to get the picture. He kept trying to engage her in conversation.<p>

'So, tell me, what's a sexy little thing like you doing here alone. Clearly you're wanting something hunny. Maybe I can help?'

The man's voice was as greasy as his appearance. Clary almost gagged when he pushed himself up close to her suggestively. Taking a deep breath, Clary put on a playful smile.

'Oh isn't that sweet baby. But I'm sorry, I'm actually meeting someone here tonight that will satisfy me more than you could. Really, the offer was lovely but I tend to go for something a bit more…' Clary made a show of checking him out, '…bustier'.

The man baulked. Clearly he had not considered she might not be interested in men. Clary sniggered to herself. Playing was just the fun bit. Everything else was business. She watched as the man made his way back to his group of friends, who appeared to crack up laughing when he told them about her rejection.

Her cell phone vibrated and she read the message.

_Black hair, glasses. Tall, called Simon._

Clary went all business then. She scanned the room trying to identify the black haired man. She saw two black haired young men sitting at a round table towards the front of the bar. She looked at them for a while. Only one wore glasses. She assumed it was him. Nevertheless, she grabbed her drink and moved closer to them. As she neared their table, she made a show of tripping and aimed her drink at the man not wearing glasses.

Spot on.

Her drink landed all over the man's shirt and he shot up. He glared at her from where he stood and she clumsily got to her feet again.

'Ohmygod I'm so so so sorry! I swear I shouldn't wear these shoes. Oh my god, I'm really sorry! I'm so stupid, I'll pay for it to be cleaned I swear!'

Clary continued on like this as she grabbed some napkins from the table and pounced on the man rubbing the wet spots. Hands came to her shoulders and pushed her away. The look on the man's face was sour. Clearly he was pissed off.

Turning to his companion, the one wearing glasses, the man said 'Simon I'm going to try clean this with water. Jace will kill me if it stains.'

Clary, still muttering apologies made to follow him, but he stopped her with a withering glare.

Pretending to be mortified was easy. The next part came naturally.

'Oh my god, I can't believe I just did that. How embarrassing!' Clary moaned as she sunk into the now vacant seat.

The boy with glasses smiled. 'Don't worry, Alec usually gets drinks spilt on him. He has this magnetic pull towards him.'

Clary laughed. 'I swear these shoes will be the death of me.' She made a show of looking around. 'Oh no one is looking any more. Thank god. I was thinking I would have to do something dramatic to save myself from the shame.' She stuck her hand out. 'Clarissa.'

'Simon' as the boy with the glasses took her hand.

At that moment, Alec returned. He shot Clary a foul look. 'Simon, I'm going to go back home and change. This shirt just won't cut it if we want to go to Taki's later and meet everyone.'

Simon nodded and gave his assent that he would wait at the bar for Alec to return.

He turned to see Clary staring at him questioningly.

Simon grinned. 'Taki's is a 5 star restaurant. Alec's brother Jace owns it. We all tend to head there for a late night meal. You ever been?'

Clary smiled softly. 'No, I don't get out to eat much. The food must be good then?'

'The best.'

Silence descended on them for a short while.

Clary kept her eyes on the man in front of her. He was gazing around the bar and humming.

Clary stood up. 'Well since I lost my drink, I'm going to get another one. My shout?'

Simon looked at her. His eyes ogled a bit as he took her in. Clearly her fall to the ground and attack of Alec had not given him a chance to appraise her yet.

He grinned as his gaze made it back to her face. 'Yea sure, I'll have a beer.'

Clary smiled at him over her shoulder as she made her way to the bar.

Now the night was going to get interesting.

* * *

><p>'Simon! You're late! What kept you man?'<p>

Simon looked up as he walked into Taki's. His tie was askew and his shirt rumpled. Smiling, he made his way to the table where four people sat around it.

'Some girl kept me at the bar most of the night. I really couldn't get away. She was so interesting!' Simon said as he sat down next to Alec.

'Wait the girl who spilt her drink on me? Her? Oh man please tell me you didn't keep talking to her?'

'We found out that she knew my sister Rachel. Apparently Rachel used to tutor her or something in college. So we were talking about her most of the night and then we…' Simon trailed off uncomfortably.

Four pairs of eyes gazed at him. Simon sighed. How the hell was he going to explain this?

* * *

><p>Somewhere downtown of where Simon sat awkwardly at Taki's, a mobile phone went off. A text message read:<p>

_You know how I work. I expect payment by the end of the week. _


	3. Chapter 2

_Hey guys!_

_Thank's so much for your reviews. It makes my day! _

_Here is chapter 2. Let me know what you think! :) (Oh and I'm Australian so forgive me for differences in some things)_

_Disclaimer: Sigh. Characters are Ms Clare's. My story line._

* * *

><p>"Certainly Ms Till. Your Defacto was the higher earning partner; however you contributed to the relationship through homemaker and main parenting figure. We expect the situation to be decided in your favour as Mr. George was away on business for most of your relationship."<p>

"Business my ass. He was off with that bitch most of the time," muttered the woman called Ms Till on the other end of the telephone.

Maia raised her eyebrows at Clary, who smiled at her and mouth 'told you so'.

"We will keep you updated on communication from Mr. George's solicitors, but we do expect this to be over quickly. Mr. George is not asking for custody of the children, but we will find out if he expects contact time, and how much he is wanting."

"Tell him to go to hell! My children hardly know their father. He deserves no part in their life!" Ms Till screeched down the phone.

Maryse sighed and shook her head. "Unfortunately the view taken is that parents have a right to see their children. I will however convey your concerns to Mr. George's solicitor."

"I understand Maryse. I just wish I had seen this all earlier. If you could please give me a call when Verlac solicitors contact you, it will be appreciated."

"I shall do Ms Till."

Maryse hung up and rested her head on her knuckles, regarding the two girls across the table from her. "So, what do you think about that?"

Clary pursed her lips and thought about it. It was Maia who answered first however.

"I reckon Mr. George is stalling. They must know that there isn't much chance of Mr. George getting out of this ahead of Ms Till."

Clary nodded. "I think so too. It would make sense. He must know she has an equal right to whatever assets he owns." Pausing, she added as an afterthought, "Men are idiots."

Maryse snorted. "Clary if you go through life calling men idiots, you're going to grow old and alone."

"Well I'll be old and alone and rich then." Clary grinned playfully.

Maia rolled her eyes. Clary always stood her ground when it came to her love life. She just could not picture meeting a man and settling down. Although given her last relationship, Maia could not blame her.

"We shall see Clary. Robert and I have worked in Family Law for many years now, and we are still together."

"Yea, because Robert isn't an idiot," Clary muttered.

Maryse just smiled at her.

Silence descended over the three women.

"Well I think lunch is calling…" Maia suddenly piped up. "Shall we head out and get something?"

Clary shrugged and looked at Maryse.

"Sure, why not? There's a new restaurant I want to take you girls to anyway." Maryse said, standing up and gathering the folders surrounding her.

* * *

><p>'<em>Welcome to Taki's. Please wait here for a table'<em>

The restaurant was packed. Clearly it was lunch hour in the CBD of Idris.

Clary, Maia and Maryse waited for 8 minutes according to Clary's watch before a waitress approached them and led them to a table in a corner.

"We're a bit short staffed today unfortunately ladies. So there may be a wait before your orders are taken." The waitress, Aline by her badge, handed them tall menus before asking what drinks they would like. Water was the choice for all three women. They got too much coffee in the office, and fizzy drinks made them feel bloated.

Maia and Maryse were sitting next to each other, leaving Clary facing them. The two women were having a conversation about Isabelle and her fiancé, but Clary tuned out. She was staring out over the river thinking daydreaming.

She was brought back into the conversation with the arrival of their drinks.

Sipping her water, Clary said "A man I met a few nights ago was telling me about this place. He was saying the food here is the best."

"You… meet a man? You… talk to a man?" Maia started laughing at this train of thought. Clary was the coldest person to men, particularly men who were strangers.

"Hey, just 'cause I think men are idiots doesn't mean I won't talk to them." Clary defended, faking a hurt expression.

Maia and Maryse started laughing at the look on her face. The two women knew Clary couldn't fake for the world.

Grinning at the two women opposite them, Clary didn't notice a new presence. She jumped as a voice came from behind her.

"Well, I would hope that not all men are idiots. We have an all male team of cooks here at Taki's and I really wouldn't want your food spoilt by the idiocy of men."

Clary's face flamed red.

Awkward.

Turning, Clary plastered a cheeky smile on her face as she quickly thought of a retort.

But stopped short.

Holy Crap.

HOT.

Before she could look too stupid and lost for words, she was saved by Maryse. "JACE! Oh wow darling! I didn't know you were working today."

The waiter called Jace grinned at Maryse. "That's the point mum. I don't live at home anymore, so you're not supposed to know when I'm working or not."

Clary looked at Maia who raised an eyebrow and shrugged one shoulder slightly. Clearly Maryse being called 'mum' was not something either of them expected.

I thought she only had one son and daughter, Clary thought to herself. She had seen the daughter just this week, and had heard about the son. Clearly this must be him. Unlike with Isabelle, this guy didn't look anything like his mother. Clary glanced between the two searching for some resemblance but quickly gave it up when the waiter's eyes fell to her.

"So, assuming the men in the kitchen don't turn into idiots between now and when your meal arrives, would you like to order?" The waiter held his face in a perfectly friendly smile suitable for the banter his job required. Clary wasn't fooled. Men didn't fool her these days.

Choosing to play along, Clary looked at Maryse. "Maryse, from your experience with men, what are the chances that they will suddenly turn into idiots? Clearly my opinion doesn't count as I've already labelled them as idiots. I'm sure my stomach really could do with the expertise of an older woman."

Maia giggled.

Maryse shot Clary a look similar to that of a warning.

Oops. Maryse looks a bit annoyed, Clary thought to herself.

"Clary, just order."

Grinning, Clary turned to Jace and said "That works for me! I'll order the Salmon and salad thanks."

Jace offered her a low and mocking bow. Clary rolled her eyes at him and turned back to gaze at the river.

The other two women put their orders in also, and they were soon left alone.

"I really wish you hadn't done that Clary. Jace has put so much effort into this place. It took him so much to get this place up and running." Maryse followed Jace's path back to the kitchen with her eyes. "The poor kid has been through so much." Maryse said softly.

Whoa! Clary thought to herself. A) Jace owns this place? B) 'poor kid'? What the? He's her son, how can he be a 'poor kid'?

Then thought A started to click into place.

_Black hair, glasses, called Simon. _

Oh shit.

Simon saying that his fiancé's brother owned this place.

OMG!

Please please please no!

Maryse and Isabelle both calling Isabelle's fiancé Simon.

CrapCrapCrapityCrap.

Clary groaned inwardly.

Could she most possibly have tried to seduce Isabelle's fiancé and Maryse's future son in law?

Great.


	4. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much to my reviewers, and to all those people who have added me on alerts and favourites! Makes my day truly!_

_This is the next chapter. Let me know what you think :)_

_I do tend to write cryptically, so for those of you who get confused, it all gets explained as I continue._

_Disclaimer: Ms Clare's characters. My own twist (Clary as the cold 'I can't love' character, and Jace as the well… I guess you'll have to find out)._

* * *

><p>"Clary, are you alright darling?"Maryse had watched Jace enter the kitchens and then had shifted her eyes to the girl in front of her to watch her progressively grow paler.<p>

"Huh? Oh yea, no I'm fine. Just a little hungry." Clary said plastering a smile on her face.

Maryse gave her a weird look before turning back to Maia to continue their conversation.

This time Clary decided to tune in.

Sadly though, it seemed that the topic of Isabelle and her fiancé had finished, and they were now talking about Isabelle's brother.

"Yes, my eldest son is very different to Isabelle. For some reason he still lives at home. I do worry about him sometimes."

Wait, her eldest still lives at home? Then why did she call Jace 'son'?

Clary decided to straighten things out.

"So, tell me Maryse. You have one daughter and one son right?"

"Oh gosh no! How boring my life would be! I have two sons plus Isabelle. Jace isn't actually mine. He has lived with us since he was about ten years old. One of Robert's clients was going to put him into the foster care system, but Robert wouldn't hear of it. So after a lot of strings being pulled, we became his guardian's."

Clary was shocked. She had always thought Robert a cold man. That's why she liked him. He didn't let emotions- either his or a clients- distract him from the ultimate goal. That's why he was such a revered lawyer. '_Seems Robert may have a soft heart after all'_ Clary thought to herself.

"Oh, that's interesting." Was all she put forward to Maryse.

Maia of course piped up, "Oh wow, so that's why Jace called you mum. I was trying to find a resemblance between the two of you, but it didn't happen. So then your other two sons, who are they?"

"Oh Alec and Max are the other two boys. They both live at home, but Max is only ten…."

Maryse's voice droned out as Clary pieced together the information she had unwillingly learnt today.

She was sure now. She had met Isabelle's brother Alec, and her fiancé Simon.

Clary had never experienced this uncomfortable sensation of realisation. Such a situation like with Simon rarely happened. That's why she did this more as a hobby than a job because it was so poor paying.

She only ever requested payment when the man wouldn't give into her seductions. If he did, she was proven right and so didn't expect the poor broken girlfriend to pay. _**That**_ was cruel.

Clary didn't think of herself as cruel. Yes she knew she was cold. She knew she had no morals. But in her eyes she was helping other women out like she wished she had been helped out at one stage in her life. Of course she never slept with the men. That would make her something terrible, and despite her lack of morals, Clary did believe that sleeping with a taken man was wrong.

"Clary…. Clary…. CLARY!"

"Huh?" Clary shot up straight and looked ahead at the two women. Maia had a small smirk on her face and one eyebrow raised. Maryse merely looked exasperated.

"I was saying to Maia that I want to throw a party for Isabelle. I feel guilty that I have been so unsupportive of her. I was wondering if you girls would mind giving me a hand to set it all up. Isabelle doesn't have many female friends I could ask, and I would love it for you two to meet her!"

Maia clapped her hands together and looked ecstatic. "Oh wow! Yes, definitely. You have never seen a party Clary can throw. Her twenty-first birthday was amazing. She has such an eye for these things!"

Oh crap. Clary mentally face palmed herself.

Clary smiled weakly as Maryse and Maia started to plan things out.

This _**never**_ happened. Well if it did, she didn't know about it. Usually the girl would be so pissed off at her boyfriend for actually cheating on her with someone that she had actually asked to see if he would cheat, that the girl called it off.

Clearly Simon and Isabelle were as strong as ever.

Clary wondered how she could get out of it. But by the sounds of Maryse and Maia's conversation it she was going to be playing a key part in this party.

Sigh.

She knew Simon would talk to her at the party. They had hit it off at the bar, and had spent most of the night talking about his sister. Rebecca used to tutor Clary in college and so they were comparing stories of her. It also turned out that they had gone to the same school when they were eight, before Clary's mother had moved her.

Simon didn't worry her, although it was a bit embarrassing to think that he had turned down her flirting. It was Isabelle that worried her. If Simon told her about that night at the pub where he met Clary, then there was a chance she would piece things together. The risk was slight however. Isabelle probably would be fooled by her apparent meekness and good girl attitude she displayed around people.

Clary decided to take a risk. She knew Maryse would be forever grateful if the girls helped out, and this could be a favour Clary could ask for in return in the future.

"You know what Maryse, I think that is a great idea. What kind of theme were you thinking? Because I have a brilliant idea!" Clary hoped she knew what she was getting herself into.

Their food arrived at that moment. Jace was serving them again. Clary wondered why. It wasn't as though he was a waiter and actually had to serve people. Usually the owner was in the back office somewhere or bossing people around. Clearly this guy was different. Or maybe it was because of Maryse.

"Jace, darling. You didn't have to bring our food around. I'm sure one of your other girls would have been able to do it." Maryse looked at Jace with a small frown.

Jace looked uncomfortable. "It's ok mum. Why wouldn't I bring my mother's food over? I do like to get to know my customers after all." He winked at Clary when he said this. Clary just rolled her eyes and picked up her fork.

"Wow, this looks great. You did a brilliant job of preventing your cooks from turning into idiots. I really appreciate it." Clary said with all the warmth she knew would piss Jace off.

Jace however surprised her. Instead of retorting, he gave her a genuine smile. "I do try. We're down a cook today, so I actually made your salmon."

Oh.

Awkward.

Clary just plastered a smile on her face, pulled off a piece of salmon and replied, "Well seeing as Maryse has confirmed you're not an idiot I guess this should taste brilliant." She proceeded to put the salmon in her mouth, preparing to gag.

But stopped. Oh man. This was fantastic.

She melted on the spot.

So good.

Jace laughed at her expression and said "Thanks, glad you like it."

Clary made a non-committal gesture and pulled off a bigger piece of salmon, watching out of the corner of her eye as Jace left.

Clary looked at Maryse, "Oh wow, this food is fantastic!"

Maryse smiled and replied, "Yes it is isn't it. It took me forever to convince him this was a good idea."

Clary thought it was the most brilliant idea ever as she proceeded to demolish her salmon.

"So anyway about this party. I think we should make it for this weekend. Isabelle really doesn't have many friends, so it would mainly be a family thing, and whatever friend Simon wants to invite."

Clary was surprised. Usually people planned parties in a couple of weeks advance. "Won't it be short notice though Maryse? I mean it's not giving people much time."

"Oh believe me, they won't need to worry about short notice. I organised this a while ago for this weekend. I've only just admitted to myself that I really wouldn't be able to pull this off alone."

Maia grinned. "Well, count us in. We should start to organise things today!"

"Oh I'll leave the organising things to you two. Just ask me for the money and you're free to do what you want!"

Clary and Maia grinned. This was going to be awesome.

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><p><strong>So, forgive me if it was a bit slow. Character development is essential to this story. <strong>

**The party is the next chapter! I'm thinking drama :)**

**I'm in the middle of university exams, so forgive me if I don't update for a couple of days.**

**Your reviews and alerts are awesome. Thank you all so much!**

**:)**


	5. Chapter 4

_I would like to say a huge thankyou for the reviews so far! To Softballplayer1, roseskyangel, Boo-KK-AM, Magnus-Bane-Sparkles, pebbles33, normally-challenged, lilianneherondale, Schewy and anonymous thank you so much for your reviews! Plus to the 20 or so alerts... thanks!_

_Heres the next chapter. For those of you who like fast moving stories, I don't write like that. I build it up over a number of chapters. _

_Hope you like it! _

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><p><strong>Thursday<strong>

Clary was frantic. Maryse had given her exactly three days to organise Isabelle's party. It took Clary a month just to organise her twenty-first decorations, music and DJ, cake, costume (for her), and food.

How was she going to do all this in three days?

Plus she still had work to go to.

Crap.

"So Maryse, I was wondering if you had any more thoughts about the party." Clary asked her boss who was sitting down going through some papers. They had returned from lunch yesterday with Maryse animatedly chatting away about the party, but clearly not considering how much Clary and Maia had to do by Saturday.

Maryse had promised to take over organising the catering, but it still left Clary and Maia with the task of decorating the house (it was to be at Maryse's) and organising music. Clary was just glad that she knew the perfect DJ and had brilliant ideas for decorations.

"Oh yes Clary! I was talking to Jace last night and he said that Taki's will cover catering for Saturday. But he's asked if one of you or Maia can go around and talk to him about it. He wants ideas of whether he should just do snacks and appetisers or if he should organise a buffet so the guests can just help themselves."

"Oh, right, no problem Maryse. I'll talk to Maia about it and see what we can do. I was also wondering if I could please have the guest list? If possible, I'd love to be able to organise a theme for this party, and I think it would be great if the guests could be alerted to it."

"Oh Clary that's a great idea. I did put on the invitation it was black and silver black tie dress, but-"

Clary cut her off. "Oh, black and silver black tie? That's brilliant. That couldn't work out any better actually!"

Clary was thrilled. Calling all the guests about a theme was one less task she had to do. This party was going to go brilliantly!

* * *

><p>"Maia! You told me you could talk to Jace about this catering issue. I have to get home and call Magnus about being the DJ."<p>

It was after work and Maia and Clary were arguing over details of the party. Maia had promised Clary that she would go talk to Jace at Taki's about the catering, but now she had told Clary that she had a date with her boyfriend tonight.

"Clary, I swear I didn't think Jordan would ask me tonight. We had a huge fight last time I saw him and I really think we need to talk about it. Besides, it's not the end of the world being alone in a room with a guy like Jace."

Clary snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Like seriously girl, he's gorgeous. I'm not single, you are. Therefore you get to enjoy it so much more than me. Plus he's a cook. What more can you want? Your idea of cooking is what comes out of a tin." Maia thought back to all the times Clary had come home before her and dinner was something like baked beans on toast or canned soup.

Clary narrowed her eyes at Maia. "Don't diss the tins Maia."

Maia just laughed. "Girl, just go see pretty boy tonight ok. Maryse said he was going to be there until eight, so that means you have to leave…" Maia made a show of checking her watch, "… now."

Clary groaned. She could easily catch a taxi, but she liked to walk more. "Fine, Maia you know what, you owe me. Make sure you take that boy back. He's too good for you, but he loves you." Clary laughed as Maia punched her in the arm. "Go see lover boy and make everything ok. And keep it to your room! Last time I was traumatised!"

Maia laughed. "Nah, you liked seeing Jordan's butt."

Clary laughed and parted ways with Maia. She turned and walked back the way they came and headed in the direction of Taki's.

* * *

><p>The restaurant was dark as Clary approached it. Peering in through the glass door, Clary saw a sliver of light coming in from under the kitchen doors.<p>

She tapped on the glass door and waited. Figuring it wasn't loud enough, she proceeded to bang on the door with her bunched up fist and smiled as the kitchen doors flew open.

Clary couldn't make out who it was, but judging by the silhouette, she guessed it was Jace. The glass doors were unlocked and Clary stepped back surprised. It wasn't Jace who let her in. It was someone different, but almost equally good looking.

The man scowled at her and stomped away back towards the kitchens without saying a word. Figuring it was up to her to follow, Clary followed the man into the kitchens where she was greeted with the most brilliant of smells. Clary thought she had died and gone to heaven.

"Oh hi… it's Clary right?"

Clary looked around to the direction of the voice to find Jace standing over a huge silver pot on a stove.

Clary grinned at him sweetly and made her way towards him. "Yep, that's me."

Behind her she heard a chair squeak and she looked back. The guy who had let her in was seated at the long table. Clary rolled her eyes. She knew this guy. And she wasn't too happy to see him here either.

Jace glanced back as well at the sound and said "Oh Alec, this is Clary. Clary this is Alec, my brother."

Clary stuck a fake smile on her face. "Hey!" she said to Alec.

Alec just kept scowling at her. Clearly he still remembered the night she 'accidently' tripped and spilt her drink on him.

Jace noticed the look Alec was giving Clary and frowned confused. "Um, anyway Alec, Clary has been assigned by mum to take charge of Isabelle's party. She's here tonight so we can go over the catering. You want to stay and join in? I don't know how long we're going to be."

Alec was still scowling at Clary and she was beginning to feel a bit put out. Seriously, it was not healthy to scowl THAT much. He must really dislike her! Usually hate was not an emotion she elicited in men. Usually it was along the lines of tongue wrestling and walls.

Alec looked to Jace after a moment of shooting venom with his eyes at Clary. "Nah man, I think I'll go home. Early start tomorrow and everything you know."

Alec got off his seat and made his way out the store. Leaving the pot on the stove, Jace followed him out the door leaving Clary alone in the kitchen.

She had never been in a restaurant kitchen before. Usually she wasn't allowed in a kitchen period. But it smelt so good!

Clary made her way around the kitchen looking at and in things. She could see a huge refrigerator on one side of the kitchen wall. Curious, she made her way towards it. Opening the doors, Clary gasped at what she saw.

Food. Lots of food.

Well, no duh, it is a fridge after all.

Clary was awestruck. _Ok, that's what a fridge should look like _she thought to herself.

"Admiring the fridge are we?"

Startled, Clary turned to see Jace walking towards her.

"Oh yea, it's huge! I mean, wow!" Clary said with a smile. A real one this time she realised.

Jace chuckled. "Yea, that's the reaction the new chef's usually get as well."

Jace walked towards her and with two hands on either side of her shoulders gently moved her away from the fridge. Letting her go, he reached inside and grabbed a tub and shut the fridge door with his foot.

He grabbed two forks from a drawer and motioned for Clary to follow him. He led her to a table against the wall where a number of sheets of paper were scattered around.

"You hungry?" Jace asked her.

"Starved." Was her reply.

Jace grinned and opened the tub. Clary peered in interested.

Handing her a fork, he said "Dig in."

Clary speared a piece of the pasta onto the end of her fork. Sniffing it, she put it into her mouth. And for the second time in two days, melted.

Damn, what was it with this guys food and making her melt?

"Oh man, this…this is good." Clary was amazed. But the words came out muffled because of the food in her mouth.

Jace laughed and ate some pasta as well.

Feeling embarrassed for having shovelled food into her mouth for the past two minutes, Clary decided to get to the point of the night. "So, about Isabelle's party. What were you thinking about doing?"

Jace was silent for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. "Well, it's up to you. I was telling mum that I can either organise a buffet or I can organise waiters to carry light snacks around for most of the night."

Clary thought about it. "I think the buffet is best. From what I gather about Maryse's intentions, it seems she wants something fancy, but not over the top. So a sit down meal for the guests is ruled out. I think a buffet table out in the backyard will work well as that way people can just help themselves as they want to eat."

Jace nodded. "Yep, no problem. The boys in here will be able to deal with that. I won't make it anything too much. I'll just keep it simple to some cold ham and chicken and I'll do a roast lamb. Then just some roast vegetables, gravy and some bread rolls and salads."

Clary grinned. That sounded awesome. "Ok, sounds great. But as the person in charge of organising this party, you have to make this stuff again. This pasta is absolutely brilliant."

Jace smiled. "No problems."

They discussed dessert ideas before Clary decided it was time she left. "Thank you heaps for tonight! I'm in way over my head in agreeing to this party."

Jace nodded seriously. "Yes, mum can be a bit overbearing at times. Believe me I know."

He led her out to the glass doors and bid her farewell. "Good night Clary. I'll see you on Saturday. Don't stress, everything will go well."

Clary smiled and left, walking in the direction of home.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday<strong>

"Clary, I was wondering if you and Maia would like to come around to my house tonight so you girls can start setting up?" Maryse was standing at the door to Clary's office watching Clary as she battled with a new case.

"Oh yea, Maryse that sounds good. Could I borrow your opinion for a moment though? Mr. Jones has asked for advice on his chances of having sole custody of their children. But I don't want to sound like a bitch."

Maryse laughed. "Clary, you're in the bitchiest business in town."

Clary frowned and looked back at her computer. Sighing she just decided to say a pure and simple 'no, no chance'.

"Anyway, today is pretty quiet. Maia is at a client conference and I'm finishing off a case. Why don't you complete that letter and then go home early? I'm sure you have a fair bit to organise for the party?"

Clary was wondering if Maryse would give her time off to organise the party. She had after all requested Clary's help for almost all of it.

Relieved, Clary agreed.

It took her another twenty minutes before finishing the letter, and another ten before she was back on the streets. Deciding it was time she organised costumes, Clary called the only person she knew who could help her in such short time.

"Greetings loved ones. This is Magnus, how may I be of service?"

Clary rolled her eyes. Magnus was such a dork, but he was the most awesome person Clary knew.

"Magnus, my darling. How are you?" Clary put on a deep husky voice.

"Clary, is that you? You're such a freak. Who talks like that?"

Clary cracked up laughing. "Hey Magnus. You know I love you. Anyway, I need a huge huge huge favour from you. Do you think you could help me?"

"Sweetie, for you, I'd do anything."

Clary laughed and said she would be at his store in five minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday<strong>

Clary still could not get over how big Maryse's house was. She and Maia had gone over the night before to start organising everything and were overwhelmed as they realised just how much they needed to do.

Maryse's house was huge! The house itself was planted in the middle of the land, and on each side of the house, there was a separate garden/ entertaining area.

Four areas to decorate almost did Clary's head in. She had never imagined something like this! It had been decided that only two areas would be used: the one on the kitchen side of the house, and the one on the billiard/ recreational room side of the house. The pool area was ignored because it was already decorated by thousands of twinkly fairy lights strung up in the trees and the mini waterfall.

Clary and Maia decided to keep things elegant yet simple. A table was set up in each area that would hold drinks and light snacks. The garden on the kitchen side of the house had an extra long table which would be where the food would be served later that night.

Magnus had been a huge help to Clary, and had supplied her with all the things she needed. In one corner of the yard a smoke machine and a light machine were strategically placed so that when dark fell, smoke would waft around the guests. Paper lanterns were strung up between the trees, and small fairy lights were in abundance.

Maryse had come through and organised a cake to be served, and there were plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in boxes by the kitchen door. Maia and Clary had spent most of the Saturday at Maryse's helping organise everything and by the time four in the afternoon came, the two backyards looked fantastic. Guests were to begin arriving by five, so Clary and Maia headed home to get ready satisfied that the night would go well.

Or well enough that the decorations and food would not be a disaster.

Clary was still apprehensive about meeting the now infamous Isabelle and seeing her fiancé Simon again. Tonight really was one big risk.

* * *

><p>This is a longer chapter. I like long chapters :)<p>

I shall update in a few days time. Only 2 exams left :)

Give me your ideas or criticisms about this story so far.

Until next time, take care!


	6. Chapter 5

_Hello my lovely readers! Thank you so much for the reviews! Awesome! And Pebbles33, your review helped me post this chapter tonight. I finished uni exams yesterday, spent all night out last night (as you do when you have finished studying) and then when I read I had received another review I was mega happy! :D_

_*In this chapter, the masks I refer to are not full face masks in the respect that they completely cover the face. Think of masked balls, and how the women tend to wear masks that accentuate their eyes, so they are small and delicate and reach no further than their cheeks._

_Enjoy! Oh and I decided to split this chapter into 2 because I felt it was too long for one. The next one will be shortly, I won't say based on reviews because reviewing is your choice. But it's still awesome._

* * *

><p>Two hours after leaving the Lightwood's 'house' Clary and Maia found themselves once again back there. Both girls had been ecstatic that they did not need to buy new dresses to fit with the theme of the party.<p>

Clary was pleased to notice that every person was walking around with a mask either on their face or clutched in their hands. Magnus had pulled through and supplied Clary with every single one of his stores masks. Clary and Maia walked through the door and approached the table which held an assortment of bright masks. Some were small, made to just cover the eyes, while others were more extravagant and included extras like feathers and sticks to hold. One thing that was common on all of them was the glitter. Magnus loved glitter and clearly channelled this inspiration into his designs.

Both girls scrutinised the remaining masks. "Damn, Magnus is amazing!" Maia noted.

Clary smiled. "Yep, he sure is." She paused as she traced her fingers along some of the closer masks. "Which one do you like?" She asked.

Maia pursed her lips. "I'm going to go with this one." She picked up a mask covered in black velvet with gold glitter tracing elaborate patterns around the edges. It was a hand held mask with a stick attached to it.

Clary smiled. It looked amazing with Maia's simple black strapless dress.

Clary chose one of the smaller masks designed to cover eyes. It was a pale metallic green colour, but unlike Maia's mask, was to be tied with a ribbon.

Maia gestured to Clary to turn around so that she could tie the ribbon at the back of her head.

Both girls grinned at each other as they took in their costumes. The masks added a touch of elegance and mystery to their dresses, Clary's green mask standing out against her dark red hair and her pale silver dress.

The masks were a stroke of genius.

"Damn girl, we look fine!" Maia drawled to Clary as they made their way through the huge 'house' looking for Maryse stopping only to pass by a spare bedroom and dump their bags in it.

Clary noted that the girls she passed were all dressed in elegant formal wear with their masks to their faces and the men were in tuxedos wearing black or silver masks. There was even one male guest who was wearing a black top hat tipped low.

"Oh look, Maryse is over there. And I think that's Isabelle." Maia distracted Clary's wandering eyes as she grabbed Clary's elbow and led her to Maryse.

"Maia! Clary! Oh you girls look beautiful!" Judging by the pitch of Maryse's voice, she had clearly had a couple to drink.

Maia and Clary both smiled up at their boss. "This is an amazing party Maryse. Isabelle are you enjoying yourself?" Maia asked.

The girl, Isabelle was stunning. She had chosen a hand held mask like Maia, except hers had black feathers on one side with lines of black beads falling down and was made of a silver material. Clary's heartbeat began to pick up. She still was not sure if coming tonight was a good idea.

Isabelle smiled warmly at both girls. "This party is amazing! Mum didn't tell me about it, but she text me this morning saying we were having a family dinner to celebrate our engagement. And that it was formal themed." Isabelle rolled her eyes at her mother.

"Oh, wow really this morning? You must have been rushed finding a dress and everything." Maia responded.

"Oh, I've never worn this dress before, but I've had it for ages. Made things so much easier, but I still had to get shoes and jewellery and stuff."

Clary laughed. "Well, you look gorgeous all the same."

Isabelle smiled at Clary.

"Anyway, girls do you mind just helping me out with some of the catering things outside? Jace said that one of the waiters couldn't make it tonight, so we're one down."

The two girls agreed to help Maryse out, and followed her outside where the long table was being filled with food from a number of trolleys. The first thing Clary noticed was that her heels dug into the soft earth too quickly as she walked. Cursing her thin stilettos, Clary nudged Maia as she spotted the drinks table.

"You want a drink?"

Maia looked at the table and quickly nodded.

Clary made her way over to the table without getting stuck in the grass but hesitated as she got close. She wasn't sure if it was self-serve or if a waiter was supposed to assist her. The plan had been to have a waiter to pour or mix drinks for guests, but she didn't see anyone around. Deciding to just make the drinks herself, Clary walked around the table and took two champagne glasses off the trolley holding them.

"You know, I think that is my job."

Clary jumped as someone behind her spoke. She turned to face the person feeling a bit guilty. It was the guy in the black top hat she had noticed when they had first walked in.

Clary smiled. "Sorry, I didn't see anyone around, and so I assumed we could just get our own drinks."

The guy smiled. "Clary, seriously, it's ok. We're a man short tonight, so if you want to pour your own drink, you know, just go for it."

Clary was startled to know he knew her name.

"Well, you know, I'm helping Maryse with the food table, but I could keep an eye on the drinks table as well when I'm around here." Clary picked out a bottle of champagne and poured it into the two glasses.

The man in the top hat watched her pour the drinks in silence, and rejected her offer for a glass. "I made the pasta for you by the way."

_Oh, it's Jace_, Clary thought mentally whacking herself over the head for not recognising his voice. He looked so different though with his blonde hair covered by the hat, and the black mask on his face.

"Oh seriously Jace"- _best to add his name in there for good measure in case he thinks I don't recognise him, she thought_- "that's great! That pasta was to die for!"

Clary was beaming at Jace and he smiled back at her. Lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck, he nodded his head in the direction of the table. "Shall we go help them out?"

Clary nodded and picked up the two champagne glasses.

The two walked side by side towards the food table. "Mum really appreciates this you know. And Isabelle is over the moon. She always thought mum wasn't supportive of her marrying Simon so a surprise party is just what she needed."

Clary looked up at him. He was really tall she noted, and she was wearing heels to make her taller! "Maryse doesn't talk about her family life very much at work and Robert doesn't talk to us juniors, so Maia and I have kind of known about you guys for four days. And I knew nothing about Isabelle in setting this party up. So I'm glad she likes it."

Jace's eyes met hers and he smiled. "Yea, believe me, Izzy really likes this! Have you met Simon yet?"

Clary stiffened. "Um, I don't think so. I mean, I know a lot of guys called Simon, but I've never really met Isabelle before so I can't say I know her fiancé."

_There, that was a satisfactory save right?_

Jace grinned. "Oh, I have no doubt you know lots of Simons, and this Simon is pretty easy to forget."

Had Clary had a hand free, she would have whacked him. "That's not very nice to say about your future brother in law. He can't be that bad. What does he do anyway?"

"He's actually into games. He works at a games place somewhere and helps design and produce them. For something so geeky, it earns him a hell of a lot of money."

Yep. It was definitely _Isabelle's _Simon that she had met that night.

Clary made a vague non-committal sound and left his side to join Maia who was transferring food from one of the trolleys to the table.

"Oooh, who's Mr. Mysterious?" Maia said nodding towards Jace as she accepted her glass of champagne.

Clary turned around so she was looking at Jace. She scrutinised him and realised that he did look pretty decent. She realised that she preferred him in a chef outfit though.

"That's Jace. We met him at the restaurant. Maryse's son. He was just talking to me about them being short handed tonight, so I offered to keep an eye on the drinks table." Clary picked up a tray of food and approached the food table, almost stumbling as her heel sunk too far into the ground.

Maia laughed really loud at Clary's comment. The thought of Clary manning a drinks table was hilarious.

"Hey girls. What's up?"

Clary and Maia turned around to see Isabelle and Simon looking at them. Clary forcefully refused to look at Simon as she walked back over to the food trolley.

"Oh Clary's just offered to look after the drinks table over there. Bad. Idea. The last time Clary mixed a drink… Let's just say we got drunk really, really fast."

Setting the tray down, Clary lightly whacked Maia's arm. "It wasn't my fault. I didn't have a measuring thing so I just guessed. Jeez."

Maia started laughing again. "Our throats burnt when we drunk that stuff she made."

Simon and Isabelle joined in Maia's laughing while Clary stood getting annoyed.

"What's so funny?"

Everyone turned to look at Jace. He was cocking his head at Clary seeing as it was she that everyone was laughing at. "These idiots are giving me a hard time because apparently I can't pour drinks."

Jace lifted an eyebrow at her. "Really? Didn't you just offer to look after the drinks table?"

Clary rolled her eyes. "Yea, but I didn't say that I'm any good at it."

"Oh don't worry. Isabelle can't cook to save her life. I became a chef because I almost died after eating something she made. Worst experience ever."

Out of the corner of her eye, Clary saw Simon grinning at Isabelle and leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Guilt flared through her. She knew she'd done nothing wrong. It was what she normally did with men when their girlfriends contacted her, but something about Simon and Isabelle made her feel guilty about almost ripping them up.

"Isabelle, the Penhallow's are here!" Maryse's voice floated to them from across the yard.

Isabelle sighed. Simon grabbed her hand and squeezed it before letting her walk away from them.

"So Clary, how was the rest of your night out last week?"

Clary froze. Oh god no. She felt her heel slip into the soft earth below her as she picked up another tray from the trolley. It was her pasta dish.

Clary slowly turned to look towards Simon trying to dislodge her heel. She had to literally force a smile to stay on her face and she wondered if she looked like she was in pain. "Oh, it was alright I guess."

Maia looked between her and Simon. "You guys know each other?"

Simon smiled hugely. "Yea, we used to go to school together, and she knows my sister through college. We accidentally bumped into each other last week after Clary tripped and spilt her drink on Isabelle's brother."

Jace chuckled. "Alec was so pissed off about that shirt. Was that you?"

Clary's heart beat was progressively getting faster. She could handle Jace and Simon without Isabelle being there, but she hadn't counted on Maia being there.

"What can I say? I'm a klutz."

"HA! You guys have no idea how clumsy she can be. But it tends to be from crashing into things while tumbling around with guys, not tripping over her feet. Damn girl, how much did you drink that night?"

Clary tried to ignore the information Maia had just released about her antics with men, and forced an even bigger smile. "Maia, since when do I get really drunk?"

"She didn't seem to drunk that night actually." Simon grinned at her. "Although we did go through two jugs of beer before we decided to go back to her…"

**Oh crap no!**

**Please no Simon!**

* * *

><p>Ideas or thoughts on what Simon might say?<p>

More info on Clary's 'job' soon, and I have a number of ideas on what could happen with it: One being Jace having a girl friend and a similar situation to those in the prologue and ch1 happening. Or should Jace be a single gorgeous bachelor with epic cooking skills?

Thoughts on that?

Until next time!

= D


	7. Chapter 6

**_So… bachelor Jace… The idea of him being taken clearly didn't go down well._**

**_And thank you all so much for the reviews!_**

**_Boo-KK-AM all shall be revealed soon!_**

**_Some cocky Jace in this chapter. I still can't decide if I want him an arrogant ass, or if I should play with his sensitive side that appears in the books. A sensitive guy who can cook… well damn._**

**_Disclaimer: As with every other chapter I've added that I have forgotten this for, the characters belong to Cassandra Clare. The plot is mine. _**

**_Once again thank you for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter!_**

* * *

><p>"<em>She didn't seem to drunk that night actually. Although we did go through two jugs of beer before we decided to go back to her…" <em>

_Oh crap no! _

_Please no Simon!_

Simon didn't get to finish his sentence. Clary, who was still trying to free her leg, gave a fierce yank on her stuck heel and ended up unbalancing. The timing was perfect, but given she had a tray of food in her hands, it wasn't the best thing. She yelped as she hit the floor and her face looked stunned. Everyone started at her with open mouths and Maia was turning red in the face from laughing so hard.

Jace reached a hand down to lift her up. Clary pushed the tray that had contained her pasta off of her chest and accepted Jace's hand. Her heel had dislodged a clump of earth as she had fallen so her shoe was free.

"Stupid piece of freaking shit." Clary muttered darkly once she was back on her feet and had bent over to inspect her shoe. Bits of pasta dislodged themself from her chest and hair as she did so. The heel had an earth stain on it up until halfway, and her ankle and butt throbbed from the landing but nothing was broken.

Maia was still laughing and Simon was grinning. "Maia, I think your theory about Clary being clumsy has just been proven wrong."

Clary felt a hand on the small of her back and turned to see Jace next to her. He was looking down at her grinning as he brushed off some of the pasta that had stuck to her chest.

Clary jerked back involuntarily as he invaded her personal space.

He whispered in her ear, "Clary, you might want to go inside and ah, change or something. Your dress is just a little bit dirty."

Clary groaned. "Well duh."

How embarrassing.

Maia was doubled over laughing and Simon was supporting her. Rolling her eyes, she allowed Jace to lead her away from the group, wincing as she put weight on the traitorous foot. But it was still a godsend to stop Simon from continuing his sentence.

_Decided to go back to her…_

Jeez, idiot!

Jace wrapped his arm around her waist, but she was too small to reach his shoulders to support herself on him. Jace chuckled and asked if she wanted carrying, calling her a damsel in distress.

"Really? Do I look that much like a damsel in distress?" Clary retorted sarcastically. Though she hoped she didn't. It was embarrassing enough walking around with food in her hair and a grass stain and mud on her butt.

"You look like you need rescuing. There's something about a girl with pasta in her hair that just screams to a guys masculinity to rescue you."

Clary rolled her eyes. She did however relent to letting him carry her after her other heel sunk into the soft ground and she stumbled. Screw taking her shoes off and just walking. Her ankle really hurt!

Clary hid her face in Jace's chest as they made their way inside. It was too mortifying! She hated looking weak and useless, but here she was being carried after being bested by a pair of shoes. "Do you mind stopping in at the spare room? I brought a bag with me with some stuff in it."

Jace agreed and walked them over to the spare room. He bent her down so that she could pick the bag up, and then carried her towards the stairs. "I'm going to take you to my room ok. I want to have a look at your ankle."

Clary sighed. "It's not broken, but it could do with some ice." And some painkillers.

Clary looked around curiously as Jace carried her through the Lightwood's home. He carried her up some stairs and continued walking until he stopped outside a bedroom door.

"Can you open the door for me?"

Clary looked at Jace in surprise. "Huh, really? And you can't just put me down now?"

Jace looked at her and winked. "Nah, I think I'm gonna keep your sweet little body in my arms for a little longer babe."

Clary scowled and tried to push herself off of him. For a chef he was pretty damn strong she realised. "Asshat."

Giving in, Clary grudgingly turned the handle on the door. Jace kicked the door open and carried her into the room. Clary looked around at the room she was in. It was white. Just white. And clean. Really clean. But then again Jace did not live here anymore Clary remembered.

Jace walked her over to a large bed and set her down on the floor next to it. Clary winced and hissed as her ankle made contact with the floor.

"Just as I thought."

Clary looked up at Jace to see a smirk on his face. Clary rolled her eyes and turned to sit on the side of the bed. "Yea, ok so what? My ankle hurts; thank you for carrying me up the stairs?"

Jace just chuckled and walked away. He slipped off his tux jacket and draped it across the edge of the bed before opening a door and disappearing inside.

Clary lifted the length of her dress up so that it pooled around her thighs and brought her ankle up to rest on her knee. She gingerly prodded it. It hurt. It wasn't swelling just yet and she wasn't sure if it would. She'd never had an injury before so she didn't know what to expect.

Sighing, she started to rummage in the bag that she had dumped on the bed next to her. She was glad she had thought to bring her swimming suit. She had intended on going for a swim if the party got too boring, but now she was thankful she did because she did not fancy walking around on her ankle very much. The cool water of the pool might lessen the swelling of her ankle if it got to that stage.

Jace walked back into the room holding a clear box. Clary looked at it questioningly. "I've done first aid courses, so I'm going to take a look at your ankle ok?" Jace said in response to her look.

Clary just nodded. "I've never bothered with first aid. I get nauseous at the sight of blood, so I don't think I'd be much help to some poor person cut open and bleeding."

Jace smiled. "I had to take first aid as part of my training. I just do refreshers every year so I don't forget. I've rarely had to use it before unless you count some of the guys cutting open a finger on a knife or a grater or something."

Clary scrunched up her nose and watched as he knelt on the floor in front of her. He picked up her ankle and gently squeezed it. Clary hissed again. "Ow!"

Jace lowered her ankle back onto her knee and opened the clear container. "That's going to swell. I'll grab some ice for you, but I'll probably have to wrap it up to help you walk on it."

Clary shook her head. "Thanks, but do you mind if you don't wrap it up just yet? I mean if it's nothing too serious, can I go for a swim? The water should be cool enough. Or will moving it around make it worse?"

Jace looked thoughtful as he picked her ankle up again. "I guess you could go into the pool. But I wouldn't encourage you to swim. Maybe just sit on the edge or on one of the steps so that your ankle is in the water but not being moved too much."

Clary smiled down at him. "Awesome!"

They sat like that for a bit; Jace inspecting her ankle and Clary inspecting him. Not liking her train of thoughts, Clary cleared her throat. "Um, Jace. I need to get changed if I'm going to go for a swim."

Jace smirked up at her. "What, I'm not good enough for you to get changed in front of? I just carried you all the way up those stairs, have provided you with medical advice, plus I cooked that pasta for you. Which is still in your hair by the way."

Clary groaned, and smacked him on the shoulder. A very hard shoulder she noted. "Dumbass. I'm not getting naked in front of you."

Jace feigned hurt. He leant in closer to her and lowered her ankle to the ground. His arms came up around her head and deftly untied the mask that was still covering her eyes. He threw it onto the bed next to her before speaking.

"But guess what. I'm still going to have to carry you down those stairs and into the pool. So you had better hope that swim suit of yours covers up your pretty body babe, because otherwise I'm going to be getting a damn good eyeful." His gaze flicked down to her thighs which were semi-covered by the fabric of her dress.

With her free leg, Clary kicked him hard in the thigh. "Get the hell out Jace. Or I'm going to stay in here for the rest of the night."

Ooops. Wrong thing to say. That just invited him to say anything. Clary mentally face palmed herself.

Jace cocked an eyebrow at her. "Seriously? If I don't go and let you get changed into some sexy little swim outfit, you're going to stay here, in my room for the rest of the night? I really can't choose between the two because either way I'm gonna being seeing some flesh babe."

Aw crap.

Clary scowled at him. "Perve." She huffed. But then she decided to test him a little bit. "But I know you Jace. I know you're too much of a gentleman to let me sleep here in your room. What would your mother think of you keeping her employee captive in your bed?"

Jace smirked. "Oh believe me; mum wants me to fall for a pretty young thing like yourself." He paused and seemed to think about what she'd said. "But actually, she'd probably go ape shit if you were to walk out of my room in the morning. Probably because I corrupted your virtue or innocence or something. Which you know, I would if you were to sleep in my bed next to me. You're too sexy for me to resist babe. And all the things I could do to you…" He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Clary rolled her eyes. Test passed. She dealt with men like this all the time. It was just disappointing she had been proven right by Jace. He had seemed pretty cool and laid back and friendly, but he was like all other guys. Just in it for the sex.

She lowered her head so that it rested against the brim of his hat. She locked eyes with him and lowered her voice. "Just let me get changed ok? And then you can carry me down the stairs and join me for a swim?"

Jace's face didn't change, but his eyes flickered down her body again. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you look like half naked babe. Especially in my arms."

Then he drew back quickly and stood up breaking the mood. Clary almost toppled over. "Get changed in the bathroom. I'll carry you down stairs and then I'll wrap your ankle up for you so it's easier for you to walk tomorrow once you're out the pool. But go see a doctor yeah?"

Clary looked up at him and shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." She grabbed her swimming suit and tried to stand up. The weight on her ankle really hurt so she started to limp across the room. But did not quite get there. Jace's arm wrapped around her waist and she automatically leant into him. He helped support her weight as she walked across the room after refusing to let him carry her.

Once in the bathroom, Clary took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. Jace was gorgeous no doubt about it. But in the space of that short conversation, she'd found out more about him than she had that night they had spent at his restaurant going over food for the party. All men were the same. Of all the guys she had played her little test out on, only three had surprised her. They had remained loyal to their girlfriends or fiancés and had not been seduced by her charms.

Clary looked at the swim suit she had brought along and cursed herself. It was her favourite one; a full piece halter neck swim suit, backless except for two strings to be tied at the neck and half way down her back. The fabric covering her chest was low cut and held together with a round silver hoop. She had fallen in love with it as soon as she had seen it, but tonight wearing it around Jace…

She changed quickly, sitting on the closed toilet seat so as to not apply too much pressure to her ankle. She deftly tied up the strings at her neck and her back and gave herself a once over in the mirror noticing that some pasta was still in her hair and on her face. She splashed some water over her face and picked at her hair until she was happy with how she looked. She was thankful she had thought to wear waterproof mascara and that her skin was blemish free.

Jace knocked on her door. "Clary, you cool yet?"

Clary limped back over to the bathroom door and opened it.

She got some satisfaction out of seeing Jace's face. His eyes flicked immediately down to her chest and the way the fabric held her breasts. She watched as his gaze moved lower taking in her naked legs.

"Your ankle is starting to swell."

Clary blinked. She had not expected that. She had noticed her ankle was beginning to get a bit puffy as she had changed but it was too painful for her to touch it too much.

Clary nodded in response. "Yea, I think I'm going to need you to give me the lift down the stairs after all."

Jace's gaze jumped back to her face. He nodded hesitatingly and shifted his eyes.

It took Clary a moment to realise why. He was nervous! He reached for her and wrapped his arm around her waist as he led her back towards the bed. He grabbed his tux jacket off the edge and passed it to her as he set her down so she could put her dress back in the bag.

"I think you should wear this." Was all he said.

Clary blinked at him confused. Since when would a male encourage her to cover her body up? She worked damn hard for it and she was pissed he was telling her to cover up, even though she had gotten mad at him in the first place for thinking about her naked body.

"Ahh, right then." She took the jacket and slipped it on. It smelt faintly like cologne.

Jace ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, it's nothing personal babe. I'd love to have you in my arms dressed just like that. But it's not very appropriate for me to carry you downstairs dressed like you are. Simon has too many creepy friends."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Jace opened his arms and she stepped into them holding onto him as he picked her back up bridal style. He indicated with his eyes for her to pull the jacket closed over her chest and he had the fabric of the jacket caught between his arm and her body so he knew her bum was covered. She really was small. But she was still showing too much leg.

Clary looked at Jace questioningly as she felt his chest heave and release a sigh. "Don't worry. You're too sexy for your own good."

Clary rolled her eyes. Seriously, this man was making her head hurt from all the eye rolling. "Yeah whatever. Can we go downstairs now please? I really want to go for a swim."

Jace opened the door to his bedroom and led her out. "No swimming Clary. If I have to get in the water myself to make sure of it I will."

Clary giggled, but stopped when she had an image of a semi-naked Jace in the water with her. Would he wear swimming shorts or swimming briefs? Or would he just strip out of his dress pants and wear his underwear? Clary didn't think she would mind as long as he had his shirt off. From what she had felt, he had a damn good chest.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs, Clary looked around at the scene in front of her. There were more people than she had expected and the ones closest to her and Jace were looking at them curiously. Jace paused at the bottom of the stairs looking around. A black haired male broke off from the group of people that he was speaking to and made his way across to them.

Jace's grip on Clary tightened. "Oh crap. Why the hell is he here." He whispered to himself.

The young man reached them but didn't take his eyes off of Clary until the last second. "Jace my man! How's it going?"

"Jonathon. Not too bad mate. Just work and stuff you know."

Jonathon nodded his head and flicked his gaze back to Clary in Jace's arms. "Hey, I'm Jonathon, Jace's cousin."

Clary nodded her head and smiled politely. But didn't say anything. She'd met a lot of sleazy guys, but he seemed to creep her out more than anyone else with the way his eyes were roaming her jacket clad body. Even though nothing was showing, it was clear he was using his imagination about what lay underneath. She curled her legs up under Jace's arm to lower the amount of exposed flesh.

The movement did not go unnoticed by either man. Jace gripped her even tighter and stepped back a bit, and Jonathon's gaze grew disappointed.

"I was just talking to Hodge and Robert about us going to play golf tomorrow man. You interested?"

Clary felt Jace stiffen and she wondered why. She got the impression that Jace didn't seem to like his cousin. "Actually, I'm sorry Jonathon, but I've already stolen Jace tomorrow."

Jace and Jonathon both looked at her in surprise.

Clary made her eyes go really big and soppy as she looked up at Jace. Feigning love sucked when you didn't believe in it. But she did not like Jonathon and she could tell Jace did not either. "I'm really looking forward to it babe, but if you would rather go with the boys and your father to play golf, that's ok with me."

Jace still looked shocked as he replied "No Clary, it's fine. We've had this planned for ages. I can always play with them another time."

Both Jace and Clary broke their gazes and turned to look at Jonathon. Jonathon just shrugged and said, "Yea, sure whatever" before walking away.

Jace heaved a sigh of relief. Clary looked back at him with a normal facial expression. "You cool now? Is that an ok thank you for carrying me around the house and giving me medical advice?"

Jace still looked a bit shell shocked but he replied, "Yeah, thanks for that. I really can't stand that guy."

Jace was a terrible actor Clary realised. Acting was almost second nature to her, especially when it came to flirting and playing with men. "Anyway, shall we go outside? My foot's getting worse I think. I want to put it in some water to see if that helps."

Jace just nodded and walked in the direction of the pool area. The people they passed gave her funny looks but were friendly enough to Jace saying 'hello' or 'great party Jace' or 'wow man, hot chick'. Clary snorted at those ones and Jace just smiled.

The cool outside air hit her exposed legs as they walked outside and Clary revelled in it. Jace set her down at the edge of the pool and indicated she take a seat on the side and rest her foot in the water.

Before doing so, Clary took Jace's jacket off and handed it to him. "Thanks. That was a huge help inside with your cousin. Man the way he was looking at me, it's a good thing you were holding me or I'd have gone all crazy and stuff. Perve."

Jace gave her a lopsided smile but looked away as she handed the jacket to him. "Anyway, I'm going to go inside and see if Mum or Isabelle needs me. Don't swim and exert your ankle too much ok?"

Clary just nodded as she watched him walk away from her, the light from the fairy lights above their head casting a dim glow around his blonde hair.

Clary sighed and awkwardly lowered herself into the water using the pool edge to hold her weight. The water was cool and helped with her ankle a little bit. Leaning against the pool edge, she drew patterns in the water with her fingers and let her eyes take in the beauty that was the landscaping of the pool area. There was a soft breeze that gently blew through her hair and Clary revelled in the peace of it all by closing her eyes and drifting off into her 'special place'.

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><p><strong>Hope you like it!<strong>

**:)**

**Question: Is Jace a swimming briefs or swimming shorts/ board shorts kinda guy? What do you think?**

**Next chapter soon.**


	8. Chapter 7

_**WOW! Those reviews for the last chapter were amazing! That was my favourite chapter to write so far and it all gets good from there.**_

_**Jace is definitely a board shorts guy. I just thought it would be amusing to find out what everyone thought about him wearing briefs…. LOL!**_

_**Disclaimer: All Ms C. Clare.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p>After having sat in the pool for a while, Clary began to feel a chill. The breeze that had at first been welcoming was now causing her to get goose bumps. She had long ago given up trying to get out of the pool in a dignified manner. She did not particularly want to crawl or hobble around the Lightwood's house. Plus she did not have a towel and the thought of Maryse's guests seeing her in the little swim suit was mortifying.<p>

"How is it feeling now?"

Clary's eyes flew open. She had been expecting him but he had crept up behind her so quietly she was caught off guard. "Jeez Jace, you scared me!" She closed her eyes again as she continued. "But I guess it's ok. I don't know much about injuries and ankles and stuff so I dunno."

Jace chuckled. "Well I thought I'd come join you. It must be getting cold in there now?"

Clary nodded her head but did not say anything.

She felt the water plop around her as Jace put his leg into the water and then a number of ripples as he immersed himself further. Cracking an eye open Clary looked at him.

And swore her half open eye almost had an orgasm.

Wow.

Jace was well, whoa. She decided in that instant that topless Jace, then chef Jace and then tux Jace was the way she preferred him.

She could not help but look at him with both eyes open. He was gorgeous without a doubt and surprisingly well toned for a chef. He was standing side on to her, and Clary was impressed. Images of chefs in her mind usually conjured up men with flabby stomaches and hairy chests. She saw him begin to turn his head, and not wanting to be caught off guard openly checking him out, Clary decided to play around with him. She shifted her gaze so that it met his eyes then ran it down his body lingering at the water distorted image of his board shorts. She rolled her eyes, shook her head and looked away.

There, let him make of that what he wants.

From the corner of her eye she saw Jace just standing there looking at her not moving. "So what's up with you and Jonathon?" She needed another excuse to look at him again.

Unfortunately however, as she asked him this question and turned her head to look at him, he sunk down so that only his head remained above the water.

Well damn.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment as he used his arms to tread water. "I dunno. I've just never liked him. He's always been one of the black sheep of the family. He never lets me forget I'm not a Lightwood. He seems to find it amusing bringing up stuff about me."

Clary pursed her lips. She was about to ask what the stuff about him that Jonathon brought up but decided against it. Maryse had said he had had a hard life before coming to her, and Clary herself had secrets. Instead she focused on "Black sheep? Like the full in jail and skeletons in the closet deal?"

Jace laughed. "Who say's that anymore? Skeletons in the closet. Clary you're like what twenty four? My grandmother says that."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Dude, I'm a lawyer. I'm a _divorce_ lawyer. Finding skeletons in the closet is what I do for a living."

She noted that he did not answer her question about Jonathon.

Jace just nodded his head and stood up right in the water. He used his arms to help him balance as he began to walk in circles in the water.

Silence descended on them for a while and Clary leant back and studied the little fairy lights above her head. The whole landscaping of the pool was breathtaking.

She felt rather than heard Jace come closer to her but she did not pay him any attention, closing her eyes instead. The water began rippling around her harder and a sudden splash of water to her face made her bolt upright, her eyes snapping open to glare at Jace. He looked at her innocently but a hint of a smile played around his lips.

"You had better be glad that I am currently handicapped or you would be so dead right now man."

Jace quirked an eyebrow at her. "Dead? Really? Babe I can't imagine that little body of yours inflicting much pain. Damn, a guy would probably get the wrong impression if you tried to attack him…Well, I guess you could cause pain to a guy if you used your body right, and I sure as hell bet you know how to use it."

Clary forgot about her ankle. She launched herself off the step with her good foot and aimed herself towards Jace. Initially the quickly formed plan had been to land on Jace and slap him numerous times, but she had not counted on Jace quickly lifting his arms up to cover his face. Inconveniently, she found herself head butting his chest instead.

She hardly managed to catch a breath before being swallowed by the water.

Stupid ankle not giving her enough launch power.

Stupid Jace protecting his face.

Stupid chest for being so hard and not like a normal chef's chest that was soft and bouncy.

Jace had not moved from the moment he had lifted his arms to the moment Clary came spluttering back up to the surface. She looked at him accusingly as she wiped water out of her eyes. "You did that on purpose you ass!"

Jace just shrugged and grinned. "You're the idiot for thinking it wise to attack this." In saying that, he pointed to his face.

Clary narrowed her eyes. She jabbed him in the chest. "You. Are. A. Jerk. And besides I wasn't aiming for your face jackass. I was aiming to do this." And with that, Clary slapped him across the arm.

Jace looked at her stunned. "That's it?"

Clary looked at him playing innocent and placed both hands on his shoulders leaning in close. "Well what else did you expect? Clearly I know how to use my body, and I guess it's not in attacking men in a pool dressed in only a swim suit."

At the mention of 'swim suit' Jace's eyed darted down to her chest and he said, "Dressed in only that swim suit is the best thing to attack a guy in."

Clary rolled her eyes. Jace's eyes were still skimming her body so she used this to her advantage. God men were predictable.

Using his moment of distraction, Clary launched into her initial attack. She brought the knee of her uninjured leg up and kneed him in the groin using her hands on his shoulders to balance her.

It was not as hard as she would have liked to have given, but Jace's legs still buckled slightly and he bent forward and gasped.

Clary lowered her voice and used a hand to raise his face. "Never ever talk to me about my body like that. Do you understand?"

Jace looked at her through watering eyes. He just nodded his head and Clary let her hold on him go.

She knew she had over reacted. She knew Jace did not deserve that, but the way he said those words had diminished her self-control. Back in his bedroom earlier she had almost lost it, but she had controlled herself remembering he was just a guy with sex on his mind as usual.

Clary turned her back on him and hopped with one foot using her hands to propel her through the water until she reached the side. She turned to face Jace to see him still in the same place with his hands covering his groin. She immediately felt bad. She had way over reacted.

Sighing, she pushed off from the step and slowly made her way back to him. Once she was within touching distance, she said "Listen Jace. I'm sorry man. I shouldn't have done that. I over reacted. A lot. It could have been worse though. But are you ok?"

Jace closed his eyes and lifted his head to look up. Clary waited a moment and shivered as she noticed the breeze again.

"Yeah, I'll survive. God woman I'd hate to see you at your worst. Actually if you ever are at your worst, feel free to direct it towards Jonathon for me." Jace still had his head directed upwards and his eyes closed. His voice was soft.

Clary smiled at that. He was back to joking around. Most guys would have started swearing at her or pushed her aside or something by now.

Clary watched as Jace took a deep breath and sunk down under the water. She followed his underwater swimming form until he reached the steps. She watched as he broke through the surface and shook his head free of water.

A movement by the door caught her attention. She saw Jonathon make his way out towards them. Clary decided to make it up to Jace once again by playing around with Jonathon.

She let off a high pitched giggle and began her awkward swim over to Jace. He had his back turned to the approaching Jonathon and so looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

As Clary reached Jace, she dipped her hands under the water and separated his tightly closed legs, and settled her body in between them. She placed her hands on his shoulders and Jace flinched and grabbed her waist, trying to push her away clearly expecting further damage to happen to him.

"Jace mate, why you keeping this little hot thing all to yourself out here. I haven't spent time with you at all tonight buddy."

At Jonathon's words, Jace sharply pulled Clary back into his body. Clary gasped at the suddenness of it and winced as her injured ankle was jostled against the step. Clary leant into him so that their chests were almost flush and she draped her arms around his neck.

Jace turned around so that his head was facing Jonathon. "Dude, if she was yours, would you seriously want to let her go?"

"Fair point my man! But Honey, you have him all day tomorrow; I'm sure you can share your man for one night?" This last part was directed at Clary and his look creeped her out.

Sticking on a huge playful smile, Clary laughed. "Are you kidding me? I haven't seen him all week. I'm not sharing him for one night even if I do have him all of tomorrow." She ruffled his hair and leant in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"The woman has spoken Jonathon. I've seen her knee a guy in the groin for insulting her so I'm not getting on her bad side if she wants me." Clary stifled a laugh at the last part.

Jonathon just laughed. "Whipped man. Whipped. Well since you're gonna be like that, I'm gonna go back inside and get me that piece of ass that is Maryse's little lawyer. Damn she's fine man."

Jace quickly looked down at Clary wondering what she was going to say to that. It was clear it was Maia he was talking about, but Clary just smiled and nodded. "She is totally your type. You should go for her." She met Jace's incredulous look and winked at him.

They both watched Jonathon leave and Jace turned back to Clary. Clary broke away from his grip and smiled gleefully. "He is so in for it! He's so not going to know what's hit him. HA!"

Jace looked perplexed so she continued. "Maia is like the most badass chick I know. She full on went nuts at my ex and believe me, that girl knows how to give a guy crap. Plus she has a boyfriend and she doesn't take kindly to guys trying to chat her up."

Jace grinned. "Well finally a girl who can put a guy in his place."

Clary nodded and giggled. "Yep, I give it what maybe ten minutes before we hear a commotion inside." Ten minutes for him to find her, for him to engage her in conversation, for him to try to cosy up to her. Ten minutes for him to think he was Top Dog until she brought him back to the real world.

There was a silence as both of them thought about what pain Maia could inflict on Jonathon.

Clary shivered as she noticed the wind again. Jace looked down at her. "Cold?"

Clary nodded. "Yeah just a bit. I was going to hop out just before you came but I figured it wouldn't be too cool for me to hobble or crawl around your house without a towel."

Jace shook his head. "No, not a good idea. But come here."

Clary looked at him questioningly. He had stood up and was facing away from her. "Hold onto my shoulders. I'm going to make you warm."

Puzzled, Clary gripped onto his shoulders. His hands came up and caught her hands and wrapped them around his neck. Jace proceeded then to stand up and walk up the pool stairs. He gripped the legs on either side of his body with his arms and walked them towards the house streaming water behind them.

"Jace, you idiot. Someone's going to fall over if you leave water all over the tiles!"

Jace shrugged. "Who cares. I'll bring a towel back down once I've got you in my room."

Clary shook her head. She held onto his neck as he made his way up the stairs and along the hallway towards his room. He opened the door and led her straight through to the bathroom.

"Here, take a warm shower yeah? I'm going to get some ice for your ankle and I'll wrap it up once you're out. Sorry I got no soap or anything. I haven't been in this room since I left."

Clary shrugged. "Hot water is good enough for me. Thanks."

She let Jace help her into the shower and she leant against the wall to support herself as she couldn't balance on just one foot. Clary watched as Jace turned the taps on and she stuck her hand under it to test the temperature. When it was comfortable, she moved to let the hot water pour over her and silently watched as Jace left the bathroom.

She really couldn't work that man out. She wondered why he had brought her to his room in the first place when the kitchen had ice and a first aid kit. She wondered why he had made those remarks about her body but then told her to cover up. She wondered why he did not want to touch her when they were in the pool and why he did not push her or yell at her when she kneed him.

The man was too much of a mystery for her and she realised that he was the first male that had interested her for the first time in a long time.

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><p>Ten minutes later Clary was wrapped in a fluffy white towel. She had hopped over to the bathroom door and opened it to see Jace sitting opposite the door waiting for her holding the clear box, an ice pack and some fabric.<p>

"Here, I figured you probably wouldn't want to put your dress back on. I stole some of Isabelle's clothes for you." Jace threw her the small pieces of fabric and Clary held them up. He had given her a pair of flannel pyjama pants and a black tank top.

"Oh thanks! Just give me a second to change."

Clary retreated into the bathroom and realised she did not have any underwear or a bra to put on underneath. As much as Jace would probably appreciate her going bra-less, she still yelled out "Jace, can you grab me my bag off the bed please?"

There was a knock on the door shortly later and Jace opened the door a crack to pass her bag through. Clary rummaged through it and found the bra and undies she had worn with the dress.

It did not take long for her to change into more decent clothes; although wearing pyjamas was not all that decent if she was to be mingling with other people again tonight. She hobbled out of the bathroom and was greeted with Jace's smile.

"See, much more practical than your dress huh?"

Clary rolled her eyes and just nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Although pyjamas, really?"

Jace smirked and winked at her. "Let's worry about the sensibleness of your clothes after I've looked at your ankle yeah?"

Clary nodded. "Sure, whatever. The pain is still there so I could probably do with the ice pack."

Jace lifted himself off of the chair he was sitting in and made his way over to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and helped carry her weight across the room towards the bed.

As they reached it, Clary sunk to the mattress and watched as Jace went down on one knee in front of her and inspected her ankle. It hurt when he prodded it, but she watched in fascination as he took out a roll of bandage from the first aid box and proceeded to wrap her ankle with it. The pressure hurt, but she figured he knew what he was doing.

He passed her the ice pack and indicated she lift her leg up to rest her ankle on her knee. Clary obliged and gently pressed the cold pack to her ankle.

She was jostled as Jace sat down next to her and she turned to look at him smiling. "Thanks for this."

Jace nodded. "Thanks for getting me out of a man date with Jonathon and my father. That would not have been a good day… Actually any day with Jonathon is not a good day."

Clary laughed. "Man date? Really? That sounds terrible."

Jace nodded seriously. "You have no idea."

Clary grinned and shifted her head back to look at her ankle.

"Oh, and speaking of Jonathon, your friend Maia is my new idol. I missed what happened but the way Jonathon was on his knees on the floor holding his groin…I'm guessing you learnt your skills for handicapping a man from her."

Clary started laughing. "Oh man, she kneed him? Classic! That girl is a legend!"

Jace and Clary started laughing as they imagined just what must have happened for Maia to act like that.

Silence descended on them once again and Jace shifted to lie on the bed, propping himself up with some pillows against the headboard. Clary figured now would be a good time to get to know some things about him.

"So you were saying before about Isabelle being the reason you became a chef… Is she that bad?"

Jace groaned. "You have no idea. I think I was about fifteen when I realised I could not stand her cooking once a week, so I took over her designated night to cook for the family. Best decision I ever made as a teenager. I'm still alive because of it."

Clary laughed. "That sounds bad. Maia cooks mainly for us. I usually stay late at the office and she gets hungry as soon as five o'clock hits."

"What kind of cook are you? Maia was saying you can't pour drinks… Which is like the simplest thing to do in the world. Isabelle can do it, so therefore anyone can."

Clary grinned. "Oh I can cook all right. My foods not too bad actually. I'm awesome at baked beans on toast and grilled cheese sandwiches. Nothing compared to that salmon you made for me last week though."

Jace grinned. "Why, I believe I'm finally getting my compliment for that salmon without drool coming out of your mouth."

Clary whacked his leg. "Idiot. The drool was the compliment."

Jace laughed and shook his head. "Baked beans on toast and grilled cheese sandwiches… That's not food. That's not even cooking. Seriously, can you cook?

Clary grinned. "I'm a girl. What kind of girl can't cook?"

Jace chuckled. "Isabelle. And you can't even pour a drink apparently. I think you're bluffing. I want you to prove to me you can cook."

Clary put on a mask of hurt. "Did you just challenge me? Are you saying that because on one night I managed to make drinks strong enough to potentially burn holes in the oesophagus that I can't cook a meal?"

Jace nodded. "Yes, I believe that is what I am saying."

"You are so on. My place, Wednesday night. Seven p.m. I'll show you that a girl who can't make a drink can make a meal."

Jace cocked an eyebrow. "Huh, this I can't wait to see."

Clary grinned. "Give me some paper and I'll write my address down."

Jace leant over to the bedside table and pulled out a drawer. He rummaged though and brought out a notepad and a pen and handed them to Clary. She wrote her address down and handed the pad back to him. "I am so looking forward to this. You do know you have just offered to cook a meal for a chef right? And I mean a chef who owns his own restaurant and is nationally acclaimed and whose salmon is the best thing you have ever tasted…"

Clary narrowed her eyes at him. "Has anyone ever told you that your head is a little big?"

Jace looked taken aback but grinned when he realised Clary was trying not to laugh. "Yeah, on a daily basis basically."

Clary shook her head and transferred the ice pack to a different spot on her foot. "Do you mind going and finding Maia? I kind of want to put my foot up and fall asleep. And no, I'm not doing that in here."

Jace grinned. "Well damn." He stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll go tell her you want to leave. I'll be back soon."

Clary watched as he opened the door and left, closing it behind him. She took a deep breath and let it out as she sunk backwards onto the mattress. It freaked her out a little that she had just decided without thinking to cook a meal for Jace at her house on a Wednesday. Wednesday was the only night of the week Maia would definitely not be home to prevent her from burning the place down.

Great.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hope you liked!<em>**

**_Question: What makes Jace so awesome for all you fans of Jace?_**

**_Magnus is just totally cool; Alec is cute and shy; Isabelle is some demon stomping ultimate chick who kicks butt; Clary is well, Clary, and the luckiest fictitious character; Simon elicits a lot of emotions: pity because he liked Clary for ages, horror at his Mark, etc._**

**_P.S (I wanted to name my kitten Chairman Meow, but my mum wouldn't let me :P)_**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys!**

**Those reviews were awesome! Thanks heaps to the anonymous ones too! This chapter would have been up 2 weeks ago, but I decided that the chapter I wrote first needed something before it. So here it is! And the best part is that the next chapter is already written :)**

**So this chapter will start off with some family law issues like divorce and child custody. The stuff in this chapter is merely fiction and is only meant for this fan-fic. I do not intend to provoke any emotions with people, so I am sorry if reading this might offend you or upset you. Just from a lawyer's perspective, emotions really don't play a part. It is just get what is best for your client really. (Something I still struggle to understand with defence criminal lawyers for murderers and the like.) **

**Oh and naturally there will be swear words. I have so far tried to censor as much as I can because I do have younger readers, but this is rated Teen and so if some words offend you, sorry! The chapter will end with some, um, insight into Clary's 'job'. I say 'job' because I don't really know what to call it myself… hobby? Recreational activity? LOL!**

* * *

><p>"How dare you try take my children away from me you fucking piece of crap! I'm their god damned mother!"<p>

Clary sighed. The voice screeching over the telephone was giving her a headache.

Maryse and Clary were in the middle of a telephone conference with a client's estranged wife, and so far, she was being anything but cooperative. The client, Joseph Smith was shaking his head and frowning at the telephone that was still emitting the screeching. "I have raised those children their whole life, since when have you ever paid them any attention! I won't let my children within sight of you, you filthy piece of shit"

Clary looked at Maryse and whispered, "Why are her lawyers letting her continue? This is getting us nowhere, and I'm getting pissed off now!"

Maryse nodded in agreement. "I'm going to have to intervene and get this back on track. Those idiots at Walker are being pathetic now."

Grinning Clary cast her mind back to the number of times Lightwood Family Lawyers and Walker and Walker Family Lawyers had been at odds. There was a mutual distrust between the two firms and a mutual desire to annoy the other as much as possible.

"Hello, Patrick? It's Maryse. I was wondering if you could please advise your client that this meeting is important. Our client is willing to get this underway as soon as possible."

The high pitched grating voice on the other end of the speakers quietened down. Maryse and Clary glanced at Joseph and smiled encouragingly as a male voice started speaking. "Hello Maryse. Yes, my client is ready as well. And clearly, her position has already been stated. She does not want Mr. Smith to have custody of the children."

Clary rolled her eyes and looked at Maryse. This was technically Clary's case, but she had asked Maryse to sit in on the conference because she knew it would be difficult. Maryse nodded her head encouragingly at Clary, and taking a deep breath, Clary began to speak.

"Mr. Walker? It's Clarissa Fray here. My client's position is that Mrs Smith is not physically or emotionally stable enough to take care of the three children. He fears that the children have a great risk of being neglected if they were to remain with their mother, and that he is able to provide them with the necessary requirements they will need to be happy. He is however willing to allow the children to have contact with their mother on a weekly basis as long as the children do not stay any extended period with her. This arrangement is not permanent, and if Mrs Smith can show that she is capable of looking after the children, he will be ready to reconsider the agreement."

Silence greeted the end of Clary's speech. Joseph looked at her and she gestured for him to be patient. Finally after some shuffling sounds on the other end of the line, a voice began. "Right well Clarissa, could you please explain why your client does not believe my client is physically or emotionally stable enough to take care of her own children?"

Clary rolled her eyes and Maryse groaned quietly. "Careful Clary."

Ignoring Maryse, Clary glared at the phone as though she could burn the speaker on the other end and began in a sharp voice, "Mr. Walker, your client has a long history of alcohol abuse and she has to date refused to seek help and counselling for this. Recently, the department of Family Services has been involved in allegations that your client often forgot to pick the children up from school and for forgetting to give them school lunches. The youngest child, as you are aware, is five years old and so requires more supervision than the older children. From what I have read in the reports, this supervision is not met, and that child was spotted by a neighbour trying to cross the road opposite the family house. Please justify to me the reasons why your client's emotional and physical state is stable enough to care for three young children."

Joseph had watched Clary throughout this heated statement and he smiled faintly at her when she had finished. Maryse reached over and gripped her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Clary took a number of deep breaths and closed her eyes as she waited for the reply.

"Ms Fray, I am more than aware of the allegations against my client. I should make you aware that my client has been seeking help with her alcohol problem and she believes she has sobered up now as she finds the counselling she has been receiving to have been of significant use."

Clary let out a frustrated sigh. "That is not enough! If we cannot solve this today, I will have no choice but to send this to arbitration and from there, to the courts. The proof and the story it says against your client is phenomenal, and really there is no reason to accept the equal parenting time requirements. Your client has not shown herself to be an adequate parent and my client has the necessary abilities to provide for these children."

"Hey now young lady, hold your horses please. My client is requesting equal access parenting time, and as you are aware this is a strong requirement to be considered in child custody disputes. She is requesting she have the children Monday to Wednesday and then the children can spend time with their father the rest of the week."

The conversation went like that for the next ten minutes. Eventually both sides decided they were getting nowhere and so hung up.

"Well… that went as well as it could. I am thankful your ex wife did not start yelling again. Those jerks at Walkers give me a headache enough." Maryse gave a half-hearted attempt at laughing. Joseph smiled weakly, while Clary just groaned and let her head fall onto the table with a bang.

Looking up and rubbing her forehead, Clary looked at her client and sighed. "We're going to have to go to arbitration next Joseph. Our compulsory conference has not resolved anything and we will probably need a mediator to help with the next meeting. So far everything is looking alright as your ex wife is seeking equal access custody and not sole custody. That would make things a bit tricky. So with the equal access, we can perhaps influence it so that you have more access to the children, however that will depend upon the next meeting."

Joseph nodded his head in understanding. "Yes that sounds good, thank you Clary. I am sorry my wife has gone to those lawyers at Walker, but I guess you are well acquainted with them Maryse?" He grinned at the last part as he directed it to Clary's boss.

Maryse squeezed her eyes shut and said "Oh please don't remind me."

Clary and Joseph laughed and stood up. The client shook Clary's hand and then Maryse's and then started to walk away from the table with Clary following him. "Thank you very much for all this again Clary. My children are not safe with their mother, and I worry about them too much. Even if I could have little Jack for more time than her I would be happier. He is too young to be left by himself."

Clary nodded her head in agreement. "Right, I shall be sure to bring that up in our next meeting." She opened the foyer door for her client and smiled as he paused at the top of the stairs. "Have a good afternoon Joseph. I shall be in contact with you as soon as I have organised an arbitration meeting."

Waiting until her client descended the stairs and walk out of sight, Clary shut the door quietly and slumped against it. The paper work for this case was going to be phenomenal. Suddenly, she was flung to the floor as the door behind her was forced open.

"Argh! What the hell Maia? Shit!"

"Clary, what in God's name are you doing on the floor? I brought lunch! See!"

Clary glared at her friend from her position on the floor and then began to stand up. The smell of the fish and chips was too good to stay angry at Maia for. "Oh man, you got fish? You are the best Maia!"

Maia nodded her head. "Of course I am. Now let's find Maryse, I'm starved."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, the empty paper wrapping of the now consumed fish and chips were screwed up into a ball in the kitchen sink. Maia and Clary were slumped over the table groaning about their stomaches. "God girl. Do you know how fast we just ate? We practically inhaled that fish."<p>

Clary giggled then made a face as her stomach made an unpleasant turn. "Ugh! I am never ever doing that again. I don't even know how the heck I'm going to do any work today! I feel like my arteries are going to clog from all that grease!"

Rolling her eyes Maia shook her head in exasperation. "Grease, my darling, is that wonderful product you can eat as much as you want when you exercise as much as you do.

Clary grimaced. She hadn't exercised last night or this morning because of her ankle. Usually she went for a half hour run after work but it turned out that Jace was right and she needed to keep her ankle free of as much activity as possible. '_Chef and doctor, is there anything that boy can't do?_' Clary thought to herself.

Maia looked at her as though she knew exactly what Clary was thinking. "Clary, seriously, two days is not going to make you blow up."

Clary frowned. She was getting restless after only two days not being able to do anything more than lift some light weights with her arms while sitting down or some sit ups. Keeping her body fit was crucial to her, and her little rendezvous after work was proof of its necessity.

Maia began to unfold herself from her chair before pausing. "Oh Clary, I forgot to tell you. Me and Jordan are going out to dinner tonight ok, so I won't be home after work."

Clary snorted as she watched Maia walk towards the door to enter into the office. "You won't be home at all tonight Maia. You and Jordan make me feel sick with your lovey-dovey stuff."

For this she received a pitying look from Maia as she leant against the door frame. "Clary sweetie, it's time you moved on from him. It's been ages now and you still haven't met a guy more than once."

Clary rolled her eyes and let a cheeky smile cross her face. "Oh please. Who say's I haven't moved on? I just realised how much better life is single and seeing a guy just once is more than enough of a commitment to me."

Maia shook her head and opened the door and passed through it. As soon as the door shut Clary let her smile drop and thought about that night. She had received another call from a girl on Sunday, and as tempted as she was to ditch it and say no, she did not have the heart. '_If only I had known'_ was the mantra that always crossed her mind whenever she thought about saying no. Clary believed that the pain she had experienced would have been lessened if she had of had a way of knowing what he was capable of. She realised soon after the end of her seven year relationship with Sebastian that no other girl should have to go through with it. No, that break up turned her into an epic bitch and her trust and faith in men from that day on died.

No one could say she just happily handed over the ring that she had worn on her finger for five years to the man she was supposed to marry so that he could give it to some other woman. The thought of dropping her engagement ring down the toilet after taking two laxatives the night before still made her smile grimly in pleasure at the look on his face when she told him he might need a plumber as she slammed her way out of their house.

She had always been attractive, something that had drawn Sebastian to her in the first place, and something that he was jealous over when ever other men talked to her. She realised that one night after she had gone out with drinks with Maia and had met a guy, and ended up back at his place, the truth of men. The man's wife had walked in on them the next morning and she realised that he had done exactly what Sebastian had done to her. Men were weak pathetic creatures who lived their lives for the gratification that a woman's body could give. She had never heard what had happened to that couple. She had run so fast from that apartment that she did not realise she had no idea where she was until she managed to catch a taxi back home.

After that incident, she had been careful to ask if the guys she met out were single or not. Not that they would ever tell her the truth most of the time, but she had managed to find ways in which to contact their girlfriends or fiancés or wives and let them know of the cheating scumbag that they were in love with. Word of mouth had progressed from there and Clary had no idea of how many relationships she had voluntarily messed up. From the way she saw it though, yes she was a home wrecker, yes she encouraged these men to cheat. But the women asked her to do it, and if the men could not resist her, what good was he to the woman who loved him?

If Clary had of had some way of knowing what kind of lowlife Sebastian was, she might still have a heart. She was so wrapped up in her assurance that he loved her and that their lives were perfect together. It just now meant that she could now look at things objectively and see beyond the fairytale of it all and into the darker parts of a relationship.

* * *

><p>"So tell me, what's a girl like you doing out alone on a Monday night in a place like this?"<p>

Clary inwardly grimaced. _Oh please, like that's original_. Smiling coyly, she put a hand on the man's arm and leant in close to his ear. "Well who say's I need to be alone?"

The man chuckled at her and rubbed her hand as he took a big gulp of beer. Swallowing, he leant in close to her like she had to him. "A girl like you looks like trouble."

_Oh gross. His breath stinks of freaking garlic. Slob! _"Well, I can be trouble, but I think that I would get kicked out of a place like this if I started trouble. I'm much too nice a girl to be getting kicked out of here." Clary let her trail around the room. In their darkened spot in a corner near the pool tables if Clary did cause trouble, it would not be noticed. The man she was with though did not seem to notice this.

"Well sugar, let's see what kind of trouble you can make. I bet you couldn't even get that security guard to look our way."

_Ugh, dickhead. _Clary stood up slowly, her eyes on him the whole time. She smirked and bent her head so that her lips hovered just millimetres from his. Her breath washed his face as she whispered, "You're wrong. I think I could make the security guard look this way a bit too much. So I think I'm going to go to the bathroom and keep myself from being kicked out." She let her mouth hover closer and closer to his before standing abruptly upright and turning on her heel away from him.

The invitation was there. It was up to him whether he could figure out what she meant, and if he chose to act on it or ignore it. If he could not figure it out she would not know the difference anyway because she would go back out there and play him until he admitted he had a fiancé and walked away or until he gave in with or without admitting he had a fiancé.

She waited in the women's bathroom for all of a minute before the door opened. In her little toilet cubicle, she could not be sure if it was him or if it was some other woman using the toilet, but when she heard the pacing too heavy to be female, she rolled her eyes. Typical; another woman heartbroken. By now, Clary was not surprised when she realised this.

_Men are such fucking assholes. _

Flushing her toilet and flashing back to her blue sapphire engagement ring being flushed down the toilet, Clary opened the toilet stall door. There was no one out there. Surprised, Clary began walking towards the sinks looking towards the rest of the other female toilets.

SLAM!

Clary was caught off guard as the huge bulk of that night's man slammed her against the wall of the bathroom. His hands went to the wall behind her head, and Clary's heartbeat was freaking out, not sure whether to be excited at the newness of it, or scared because she had the potential to be out of her depth.

"Now, show me how much trouble you can be." And with that, the man gripped her hair and roughly pulled her face to his.

_Do not grimace, do not grimace… Oh crap I'm going to throw up!_

Clary struggled with her gag reflex as her stomach and mind rebelled against what this man possibly had in mind.

_Just give him what he wants. He won't fight you then. _This had saved Clary from a number of horrible situations in the past, especially if the man thought she was stringing him along. For some reason reciprocating kisses and noises made them feel less aggressive at being potentially brushed off. Fighting seemed to make them more angry, and appeared to be an ego crush… or just stimulated their cave man predatory nature.

Clary let her hands slide to his head and she positioned her body closer to his. She gave back kisses to him just as fiercely. As he made to move down her neck, Clary let her hands run down his arms. She could hear the annoyed grunt the man made as he tried to pry her shirt from her body without succeeding. Clary grinned above his head, thankful that her usual outfit was so hard to get off.

"Whoa, slow down there soldier. I still want this shirt after you've finished with it."

_Gag gag, vomit vomit. _The thought of him getting her shirt off was just…ew.

The man moved his head back up to her level and bit her neck. Hard.

Clary hissed in anger. How dare he!

Thankful for her years of self defence martial arts training, Clary brought his face to hers and sucked his lip into her mouth. Then she bit down hard. As she did so, she kneed him in the groin and knife chopped the top of his neck as she head butted him hard. The four combinations, shock and desire, then pain and recoil, and then a gasp and falling allowed Clary to be free from his ministrations. She looked at the man in disgust. He would be out cold for a little bit.

She looked at herself in the mirror and was not surprised to see teeth marks on her neck. One of his sharper teeth had pierced her skin. _Great, now I'm going to have to see if I need an injection for whatever disease he carries in his mouth_ she thought sarcastically. Straightening her shirt, she stepped over the man and walked out of the bathroom. She grabbed her phone out of her bag slung over her body and sent a quick text.

Someone was going to be pissed off tomorrow morning.

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><p><strong>So, a pet peeve of mine is when stories who have introduced Jace into a story but leave him out of a chapter…I hate that only because I just want to read about him… But I've done it here myself. I swear the next chapter is all Jace.<strong>

**My sensei in martial arts training taught me those moves Clary used… yet to use them, and I hope I never need to! Does Clary's 'job' make more sense now? Or still curious about what happened with Simon?**

_Just out of curiosity, I have been thinking about a new fic. But I'm not really sure because it would probably have to be rated M because of the content. In Australia, anorexia and bulimia are really rare eating disorders. But they are still around, and it's so hard to be able to recognise. I was happy to get through most of high school without experiencing an eating disorder, but about four months before I was to graduate, I virtually stopped eating. I was under the impression I needed to be skinny to fit into my dress which I had had measured up at the beginning of the year, and so had a whole year of eating chocolate and sweets while studying… needless to say, my dress was huge on me, and quite embarrassing as I was dancing with my friends and I had to hold the dress up (it was strapless). A few of my girlfriends have experienced eating disorders and body image issues, and so I have seen the pain they cause._

_There are many stories on here about depression and cutting and suicide. I was wanting to bring a different outlook to psychological problems like eating disorders and depression by having all these people come together and support each other. But the fic would not just stop there. It would also look at other health issues like leukaemia, and I may add AIDS, but I couldn't be sure. It would revolve around friendship, love, death (of course) and learning to love and accept yourself. This has been an idea in my head for ages for a potential new story, and I wrote a short little something like it for a high school English assignment when I was still in school 5 years ago. (I got an A+ so it was pretty decent). Are the topics too touchy do you think? Thoughts? I don't know what those kinds of topics are like in the rest of the world like USA/Canada/ England etc, since a lot of MI readers are from there._


	10. Chapter 9

**forget: Disclaimer- All characters belong to Ms C. Clare.**

**I have written so far in 3rd person from Clary's perspective, but I'm writing from Jace's in most/all of this chapter (Just like I promised last chapter… Although I really want to write more hot sexy shirtless Jace).**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Bang. Bang. Bang.<p>

"JACE, get out of my god-damned shower! You're using all my hot water!"

The shower continued and steam started to seep under the crack of the bathroom door.

"ARGH! Jace Lightwood, if you don't get out of the shower I will get Simon to turn the hot water off! GET. OUT. OF. MY. FUCKING. SHOWER!"

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The shower finally turned off and Isabelle paced backwards and forwards by the door impatiently. After a minute the door suddenly opened to reveal Jace standing in a pair of jeans and a blue collarless shirt.

Isabelle jumped back at the suddenness of the door opening and cocked her head to one side as she took in Jace's appearance. "Wait, aren't you going to see that Clary chick tonight?"

Jace rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb Isabelle. It's all Mum has talked about since I told you guys."

Isabelle snorted and turned away from him, making her way down the hall towards her room. "That's the understatement of the Century. And it is for that reason- and for her sanity- that I am NOT letting you go to Clary's house dressed like that."

Jace stepped out of the bathroom and followed behind her. "It's not like I'm going to be wearing anything by the end of the night. Who couldn't resist this?"

Isabelle reached her door way and turned to face him frowning. "Jace, I know you. You wouldn't even kiss her unless she makes the first move. The chances of you and Clary ending up in bed tonight- wait no- you shirtless tonight is almost as great as Simon's band getting a record contract. Not going to happen."

Jace looked at Isabelle and lifted an eyebrow. "Simon's band is just terrible. I, on the other hand, am not." He stepped past her and walked into her and Simon's room and plopped down on the bed.

Isabelle turned around and faced him as she leant against the door frame. She knew he was nervous. This was the first time he had considered seeing a girl in a very long time and his witty remarks were his way of covering his trepidation. "Right, well if you say so. But I am not letting you wear that. Clary is a lawyer dumbass. She likes a well distinguished male who she can relate to on an intellectual level. Look at mum and dad. I don't understand what they talk about half the time together."

Jace rolled his eyes. "A well distinguished male she can relate to intellectually? I hope we don't play Scrabble then because that would be awkward."

Isabelle grinned. Jace was the reigning family champion in Scrabble, and a constant annoyance to their father who could not understand how someone who was not university educated and just cooked all day could be so good at a word game. She walked to her closet and flicked through some of Simon's clothes. She drew out a black long sleeved collared shirt and some dark blue jeans and threw them to him. "Just put those on."

Jace glanced down at them piled on his lap and sighed. "Is my underwear OK or are holes a bad thing?"

Isabelle laughed. "Jace just get dressed. I'm not done with you yet."

He stood up from the bed and walked into the little ensuite. Emerging a short while later, Isabelle inspected him approvingly. She walked up to him and yanked one of his arms away from his body. She deftly rolled the shirt up so that it was a more casual length of three quarters down his arm, and then did the same to the other arm. "There, much more suitable. Girls like Clary like a guy who looks like a decent future husband."

Jace baulked. "Future what?"

Isabelle giggled. "Oh you are so easy! Besides, you cook and you own your own business. What girl could resist that?"

Jace groaned and rolled his eyes. "I'm finding out tonight how good a cook she is apparently." Jace began to walk towards the bedroom door. Before walking out, he turned to Isabelle. "You sure I look alright?"

Isabelle looked at him seriously and nodded her head. "Yes Jace. Just don't be too much of an ass tonight OK?"

Jace shrugged and smirked as he turned on his heel and walked down the hall.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later Jace arrived at Clary's apartment building. In his hand he clutched the piece of paper she had given him stating her level and number. He took an elevator to the designated level and made his way to her door.<p>

Knock Knock.

Jace waited a few moments and heard a thump coming from the opposite side of the door. The door still did not open so he knocked again. Ten seconds passed before it was opened by Clary.

Jace immediately felt over dressed. Clary was standing there in front of him in a pair of loose grey pants and a purple singlet. Her skin was flushed and she had a slight sheen of sweat on her face.

Taking a deep breath, he raised a hand up awkwardly in a 'hey' gesture. "Ah, hey."

Clary stared at him blankly. Then she suddenly slapped her forehead to the door she was still holding onto.

"Oh crap! Wednesday. Damn. I completely forgot Jace!"

_Oh well, this isn't awkward at all_, Jace thought to himself sarcastically.

"Oh, ok, well in that case you know… I can leave." Jace took a step back as he said this and began to turn hesitatingly in the direction of the elevators that would help him escape this embarrassment.

Clary's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "No, don't leave Jace. It's cool. Come in."

Jace turned to face Clary and took in her appearance. "Seriously Clary, we can do this another time. It's no big deal."

"No. Tonight is fine. I just completely forgot all about Saturday's dare." Clary gestured for him to step into the apartment so she could close the door behind him.

Looking around him, Jace took in Clary's apartment. It was spacious that was for sure, and it was bright and had a few paintings on the walls. There was an odd assembly of furniture ranging from three bean bags, a long couch, and a reclining chair arranged in front of a large television. There was a set of glass doors leading to a small balcony with a view of the surrounding city buildings and facing in the direction of the setting sun. The place was messy and clearly Clary did not live by herself unless she owned a mountain of shoes and a pair of male sneakers.

As they passed by the couches, Clary rolled a stray hand weight with her foot under the reclining chair and Jace suddenly realised why she looked flushed and sweaty. As they approached the kitchen, Clary grabbed a half empty drink bottle off the kitchen counter, and turned to face Jace. "So, dinner. I, ah… Chucked some stuff in a pan last night but I didn't get to eat so I was going to eat it tonight. You don't mind do you? It should still taste ok."

Jace shrugged. He was beginning to feel a bit like an idiot. "Yea, that's fine. Or you know, we could go out to dinner. I know some pretty decent places around here."

Clary shook her head. "No, I said I would make you food, and so I am sticking to that." She walked over to the fridge and opened it. Jace caught a glimpse of a full fridge before Clary bent over and pulled out some glass bottles. She stood up and turned to face him, holding one out for him. "Beer?"

Jace nodded and took the bottle surprised as he saw Clary pull another one out. His impression of her was of a wine girl. He watched as Clary twisted the lid on hers using her shirt and took a long swig. Doing the same with his, but in a more manly way by just using his bare hands, Jace cocked his head at her. "So... food. I'm a hungry man babe. Beer - as nourishing as it is - really won't satisfy me."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Patience. Beer first, food second." She stepped around him and began to make her way to the couch. "You don't mind if I quickly catch the news do you?"

Jace shook his head and followed her to the couch. He watched as she threw herself down and gave a heavy sigh. She leaned her head back and shut her eyes for a moment, but then cocked one open to look at him. "Sit, jeez, no need to be a gentleman."

Jace frowned slightly at her tone and sat down at the end of the couch. Clary lifted herself up and reached for the remote control that was on the low coffee table. "I've been keeping track of a court case that's happening at the moment. I'd guess that Maryse and Robert would have been doing the same?"

He nodded. "Yea, they both have been following it since it's come to Court. It sounds pretty interesting."

Clary snorted. "Interesting my ass! It's in the highest court which means that the decision has to be followed by everyone else. The only reason I'm watching it is because it's a Family Law thing. Normally I'm not bothered with Court decisions not related to the stuff I do."

Jace pursed his lips and turned to face the television. He took another swig of beer to ease the awkwardness of the situation. His stomach growled at him and he realised he had not eaten all day. The news story came on about five minutes after they had sat down, and the story was a quick snap shot of what happened in the court and images of men in white wigs and long black gowns walking away from the court holding heavy looking folders.

"Right! Food." Clary switched the television off after the reporter finished the story and grinned in Jace's direction. "Your stomach is really loud man."

Jace laughed at that. "What can I say? It expected food the moment I got here."

Clary snorted and stood up and made her way towards the kitchen. Jace followed behind her and stopped to lean on the counter as Clary opened the fridge and bent down to pull something out. Standing up and shutting the door with her foot, Clary placed a glass bowl on the counter.

"This is dinner," She said nodding down to the bowl and took a swig of her beer.

Jace peered closer. He was a bit sceptical.

"Soup?"

"Yep."

"Oh."

Clary grinned. "Hey it's not that bad. Vegetable soup. Very healthy."

Jace grimaced. "Vegetables woman? Seriously? What about a chunky beef stew or something with meat? I'm a man. I need the meat to grow."

Clary stuck her tongue out at him childishly and placed the bowl in the microwave. "Your tall enough pretty boy." Grabbing her beer, she gestured for Jace to follow her. They walked outside in silence.

"So, you forgot about tonight on purpose?"

Clary looked appalled. "I actually remember a lot of things. Tonight slipped my mind because I have been really busy at work and the cases I'm working on at the moment just aren't coming together. It's horrible."

"So what, Mum didn't remind you or talk to you about me coming round tonight?"

Clary frowned and shook her head. "Um, no. Should she have?"

"No, and I'm glad she didn't. I wouldn't want you to feel weird about having a date with your boss's son."

"Huh, dinner with you… I thought this was more of a dare then a date…?"

"Dinner with me is a date in any words babe."

Clary rolled her eyes and took another swig from her bottle.

Silence descended over them and Jace started to feel awkward. Usually he was comfortable with silences, and while this was not an awkward silence, it was awkward to sit next to Clary without conversation. "So, ah, work has been bad lately then?"

Clary's face creased into a frown. "Usually I like my job. At the moment I don't."

"Mum is like that sometimes. She calls it the bitchiest business in town."

Clary snorted. "You have no idea."

Silence enveloped them again and Jace resigned himself to the fact that maybe it would be like this for most of the night.

_Bing_.

The microwave went off signalling Clary's cue to walk back inside.

Jace sighed. _Well, this was going awesomely_.

Clary walked back outside a minute later with two bowls in her hands.

She handed one to Jace and said "Hope you don't mind sitting outside to eat. I'm usually stuck in the office all day so I like to sit outside and get the air."

Jace shrugged. He did not much care where they ate.

He picked up a spoon and balanced the bowl on his lap. He took a sip and smirked.

"Is this from a-"

"Shut it." Clary interrupted.

Jace grinned. He remembered what canned soup tasted like. The vegetables were all soft and didn't need to be chewed, and there was a light film of oil on the surface of the liquid.

"Woman, I thought you were cooking for me. In what part of my dare did you form the impression that tipping the contents of a can into a bowl and sticking them in the microwave sufficed as cooking?"

Clary slowly looked up from her bowl and turned her head to face him. Jace thought her attempt at the 'evil eye' was pretty good_. She probably has a lot of practice pulling it out for other lawyers_, Jace thought to himself.

"Are you complaining? Because you know a woman doesn't like a man who complains. And besides, the instructions on the can said to pour into a pan and cook until simmering. The word 'cook' was involved."

Jace snorted. "Lawyers, always finding a loop hole in anything."

Clary grinned at that. "Ok, I admit. I'm a crap cook. Maia does most of it because she prefers to get her fibre from vegetables and not baked beans."

"How do you live?" Jace was looking at her incredulously.

Clary shrugged. "I just never got the hang of it. I left home before my mother could properly teach me and in Uni the majority of ours meals were provided to us. Or I just brought frozen meals. I really didn't have the time to bother to learn to cook, and now I'm kind of stuck with my inability to even make decent spaghetti bolognaise."

"You can't cook mince? Jeez woman, you are terrible."

Giggling, Clary shook her head. "No, I can cook mince. It's the pasta that stumps me. It's either over cooked or under cooked. Maia once choked on a meal I served her because I decided I hadn't made enough pasta and so I stuck some more into the pan even though the majority of it was already cooked. So instead of over cooking the pasta, I decided just to serve it even though it all wasn't cooked. I didn't know it could have the effect it did though."

Jace stared at her with wide eyes as she made this statement. "Are you this dodgy with your clients?"

He was mocking her, and he knew it, but the idea of not being able to cook pasta was something Jace could not fathom.

Jace watched as a crease formed between Clary's eyes as she spooned some more soup into her mouth. "I swear, I just don't know how to cook. It's something that doesn't come naturally to me unless I have clear instructions in front of me."

"Ok, so if you have instructions, what are you like?"

"Pretty damn decent for the most part. I'm just terrible at improvising in the kitchen."

"Just like Isabelle. Although she can't read instructions so I guess I have to give you one over her."

Clary laughed and Jace watched as she scraped her spoon along her bowl collecting the rest of the liquid. "Isabelle really can't be that bad."

"No, she can be."

Jace kept his eyes on Clary for a second longer and then returned his attention to his soup. He had not eaten as much as her partly because he was not used to the quality of the food. It was something he had not allowed to pass through his mouth in many years.

Silence descended over them again as Jace watched the sun set while finishing his soup off.

"Jace, can I ask you something please? I don't want to offend you, so you don't have to answer. I'm just curious."

Looking over at her, Jace noticed the look of shyness and curiosity on her face. "That sounds a bit worrying . If you're asking if I have a criminal record, no I don't. So you don't have to worry about me pushing you off this balcony in blind rage because you lied to me about your cooking skills and fed me canned soup instead."

Clary raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You would try to take me on? I thought you would have learnt from what happened on Saturday that I can be brutal if I need to."

Jace chuckled. "HA! Kneeing a guy is not being brutal babe. That's just being a bitch and disarming a guy for a moment. If I really wanted to throw you over this balcony I could, no problems."

Jace watched as Clary's eyes travelled down to his arms and lingered there. He knew she could tell how strong he was, and since she had seen him shirtless the other night, knew that she could not doubt his strength. "Ah, yeah ok, I'll avoid getting on your bad side then when I'm near heights. But no, your criminal record means nothing to me. I'm actually curious about what Maryse said to me once about you having had a hard time in life."

Jace started laughing. "Oh dear God! Maryse told you about my childhood? She must really like you."

Clary frowned. "No, she didn't tell me anything about your childhood. Just that you were adopted because of a case Robert worked on."

Jace still had a grin on his face. "Maryse has always thought it was awkward for me to admit I was adopted. I grew up with her telling me I can call her Mum and that all the Lightwood's were my family, biological if need be in case of bullies at school. But I've never been bothered by it."

Clary slowly nodded her head in his direction. "Right, so that explains what she said you had been through so much. She has a lot of affection for you Jace."

"Affection? Who says affection? Clary, you're a girl; aren't you supposed to use the love word too much?"

Clary snorted. "No, not this girl."

Jace gave her a funny look. "Well, whatever word you use, Maryse loves me like her own child. And in a way I am. I mean me and Isabelle and Alec and Max are the closest siblings. We used to fight like them too when we were growing up, and now we are there for each other whenever the other needs us."

"She did raise you well. I got to see a fight between Maryse and Isabelle at work once. It was a scream match, but then when I saw them at the party together, they were like the perfect mother and daughter."

Jace nodded. "Yes, mum and Isabelle are often at odds, but they have a connection neither Alec nor I would have ever been able to form with her."

Clary snorted, startling Jace. "Seriously man, is this a heart to heart? Because it's kinda creeping me out!"

Jace laughed. "We are eating soup and drinking beer on a balcony. It's just too cosy not to have a heart to heart."

"Well technically, you're eating soup. I'm finished. And I will have dessert ready in an hour."

Quirking an eyebrow, Jace enquired, "Dessert too? Is it from a can?"

Clary looked at him with her evil eye again. "No, actually I shall prove that I can read instructions. You shall be the witness to my finest chocolate sauce pudding."

"Uh huh, right. And is having me help a part of this? Because I'm intending to sit on the couch and watch you make this."

Clary stood up and Jace pretended to wince as she smacked his arm. "Get over it pretty boy. I'm no one's cooking bitch. You can help me make this."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later the pudding was in the oven and Jace and Clary were sitting talking. Jace was on one of the bean bags and Clary was lying on her stomach on the couch facing him.<p>

"No way! Simon was a comic book nerd? That is golden!"

Clary laughed and continued. "Yep, we used to read comics together in our lunch break. I always said I could read better than him so it was always up to me to read them. Although I usually just made it up because even I didn't understand every word when I was seven."

"And there was the making of your legal career… bullshitting your way through life even as a kid."

Jace rolled backwards off the bean bag and lay down flat as a pillow came flying his way. Needless to say, had he have stayed in his position the pillow would have flown right past him. Instead it hit him square on the head as gravity pulled it down. Hearing Clary laughing from her spot on the couch, Jace snagged the pillow and hid it behind him as he got to his feet and made his way towards her trying to make himself look menacing.

Clary threw her hands up in the air. "Hey, some of us have to make a living alright. And it's about being the best bullshitter."

Jace ignored her and continued pacing towards her. "Dude, I'm serious. Do you want to be temporarily handicapped again? Because you know I can do it."

Jace shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her while baring his teeth trying to make a scary face. He stood over her, trying to look like a looming dark presence, but Clary just cracked up laughing. "Uhm, Jace… you have green stuff in your teeth."

_Oh fuck_.

Jace groaned internally but ignored Clary. Bringing his hand out from behind him, he whacked Clary with the pillow that had just a minute before hit him. Jace grinned as Clary screeched and tried to scramble away.

"Babe, I'm the man here. We all know that in a pillow fight, I will win. You started it; I finish it."

Jace watched as Clary attempted to regain her composure. She sat cross legged on the couch trying to put her hair back into its bun. He figured he had not seen it out of a bun yet and wondered if it was a sign of her being uptight. She didn't come across as uptight though.

"Uh, is there something wrong?"

Jace shook himself when he realised Clary had spoken to him. "Um, no why?"

"You were staring at me."

"Babe, shouldn't it be you staring at me? This body deserves attention."

Jace grinned inside when he saw her eyes light up mischievously. _Yep, not uptight_.

"Your body deserves attention? Well then, I guess I will have to do something about that won't I."

Jace watched as she slowly rose from the couch and made her way to him. She did not even reach his shoulders but he could feel the power she radiated, although whether it was power over him and his body, or the lawyer in her that she radiated he did not know.

"Jace, it seemed like we made such a connection that night at the party. Our bodies fit together perfectly in the pool and you know it. I've been under so much stress lately that I think I need a distraction."

The way Clary was looking at him made him nervous. He hadn't let himself get into a position like this in a long time and it was unsettling to experience it again.

"A distraction?" Jace was thankful his voice did not break.

Clary looked up at him with wide eyes. "Yep, a distraction."

Jace swallowed and tried not to move. He was not sure in which direction he wanted to move anyway. Backwards was safe: forwards was in almost forgotten territory.

Clary stopped in front of him and kept looking at him. She lifted herself to her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "I need a distraction... I need another beer."

With that, she danced around him and made her way towards the fridge.

Jace stood there dumbstruck. How the hell did she manage to do that to him? Even at the party when he was so sure of himself and his ability to be cocky she could disarm him in seconds.

Suddenly cold pressed against his neck and he jerked forwards. Behind him, Clary started laughing. "Suck it up big guy. It's just a beer. Dessert will be ready in 10 minutes, so I guess we have time for more heart to heart."

Jace was still reeling inside about what she had managed to do to him with her thoughts of 'distractions'. Everything about Clary was unfamiliar to him and it was as unsettling as it was intriguing.

Looking at her lounging on the couch looking at him questioningly, Jace realised tonight was going to be exactly how Isabelle predicted. He would not make a move on her, and he highly doubted Clary was the 'kiss on the first date' kind of girl.

But damn did he want her.

* * *

><p><strong>No kiss… naw… Later! :)<strong>

**So technically, this is my 10th chapter… YAY! I would like to thank you all so much for your support so far! To date, 33 of you have added this or me as a favourite, 48 have added this or me as an alert and there are 56 reviews! I am so, so happy with this response! I love the feedback, so any reviews left for this story make my day!**

**Good date, bad date? Absolutely cringe worthy being fed canned soup? Let me know :)**

**The feedback for my proposed next fanfic was supportive. I shall bring news in the future if I am underway with writing it. I have researched stuff for it on Google and I'm pretty sure I have an idea of where I want it to go. (GirlWithoutAHeart... a POV would be amazing. If you would be up to me asking any questions, that would be wonderful! Actually anyone who has a POV and wouldn't mind me asking them some questions so I can get the characters right, would be wonderful.****)**

**:)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello my lovelies! This is my update:)**

**I do not own the story that is the inspiration for this fanfic, Ms Clare does. (Did anyone know that she was involved in a plagiarism 'scandal' on this fan-fiction website? I was quite stunned when I found out. But regardless, she is still an awesome author! But it's made me more aware of how important these disclaimers are! Even though I tend to forget a lot, I make no claim to MI other than the idea for this story plot.)**

**I hope you like this chapter! Thank you for all those reviews for the last chapter! To 123-Cat-Cat-321 (I couldn't reply to your review as it was denied) thank you for the review! Reading that my story is quirky, funny and sweet made my day!**

**Some mild language in this chapter again... it is Teen.**

**Enjoy! **

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><p>Clary woke up on the Thursday morning to a loud bang. Shooting up from her bed, she looked around her room for the source of the sound. Seeing nothing out of place, she slipped her feet out from under the blankets and made her way across the room to her bedroom door. As far as she was aware she was home alone; she did not expect to see Maia again until work since she had not come home the night before.<p>

Clary opened her door slowly and looked down the hall, first left and then right. She jumped as she heard a loud scream coming from the direction of the kitchen. She gave a sigh of relief as she recognized the scream.

Maia.

If Maia was home it only meant one thing, and Clary was not sure if she was ready to deal with Maia and Jordan's crap so early in the morning. Resigning herself to the arduous task of comforting Maia, Clary made her way towards the kitchen. The sound of smashing made her pick her pace up.

"Whoa girl, watch what your throwing around!" Clary had just entered the kitchen when she was forced to duck to avoid a spinning plate.

"Oh morning Clary. I wasn't expecting you up just yet. I guessed hot and handsome would have stayed the night. Hope I didn't wake you guys."

Clary snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever Maia. Now why the fuck are you throwing our plates around? If you wanted to practice your Frisbee skills there is a perfectly good park across the road and the neighbours dog to play with." Clary made her way across to the kettle and flicked the switch to turn it on.

"Girl, you kidding me? That dog is vicious. If I needed money desperately I'd use that thing to get a personal injury claim. I'm sure it would be more than happy to take a chunk out of my leg. Unfortunately I'm rather fond of my legs, and not that desperate for money."

Clary looked at her friend who was now leaning against the counter and rolled her eyes. "Damn, what did Jordan do this time?"

Maia slapped her fist to the counter top and spoke in a harsh voice. "Do not talk to me about the asshole! As far as I'm concerned he can rot in hell."

Ouch. Poor guy.

"So I'm guessing you guys are over... Again?"

"Oh yea, we are definitely over! Do you know what I found? I found a pair of undies in his bed. Underwear that I would never put on in a million years."

Oh, nasty.

"Oh fuck Maia! How the hell did that happen? Why would he cheat on you?"

Not that there is any surprise he did, Clary thought to herself. All guys are like that, giving into impulse, seduction, and instant gratification.

"He said it happened when we were taking the break. How the hell does a woman just miss the fact she has forgotten her underwear?"

"Or you know, he could just have a fetish for female underwear...?" Clary was joking around now, trying to calm her friend down. Maia was under enough pressure at work, and having her personal life screwed up was not going to help anything.

"No Clary. The only mental problem that jerk has is one which involves sleeping around when taking a break from your girlfriend of three years."

"Ah, ok... So not a fetish as such... He's just an asshole." Clary reached above her and opened the cabinet to draw a cup out. Setting it on the counter top next to the kettle, she turned back to face Maia to see her reaction to this sarcastic revelation.

Maia tossed her head back as she snorted. "Actually you know what... It might be a fetish... Those things were huge. Like I'm not kidding you girl, they were those high waisted things."

Clary shuddered. "Oh shit! No way? God, he is such as freak!" Clary watched as her friend started laughing. It did not usually take Maia long to get over a fight with Jordan. They were constantly on and off, and Clary wondered how long this fight would last for. "You gonna be ok?"

Maia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them as she exhaled and looked at Clary. "I hope so. It was just a shock I guess. There we were, making out in his room and after all this time since I took him back, I decided it was the perfect time for make up sex. Clearly, I was wrong."

Clary shook her head. "Don't stress about it ok. I mean it's not as though you were so innocent during the, ah, break."

"Yeah, but at least I didn't leave evidence behind. God! It's so like him! And if the girl who was in his bed was creepy enough to leave his house without underwear... Just... Ew! And if he gave her my underwear to wear... That guy is dead."

"Dude, don't put thoughts into my head ok! And I don't think 'creepy' is the right word... I can think of a fair few other words that can do justice to that kind of thing. A girl going commando is so not as sexy as a guy going commando."

Maia looked at Clary in awe. "Did you seriously just say that? Damn girl, I'm finally having an inappropriate influence on you."

Giggling, Clary turned back towards the kettle. Steam was beginning to rise from it and she placed her hand over the spout to feel the burn. She had a competition with herself to see how long she could keep her hand in the steam before the pain became to much. "Inappropriate influence on me? I've only been living with you for eleven months now... I didn't know you could work that fast!"

"You have no idea girl. I could turn you into a relationship crushing bitch if I had that much dedication."

Maia was joking around now and making fun of the fact that Clary would never let herself play a part in cheating. It was the cause other break up with Sebastian, and as far as Maia was aware, Clary would not do anything like that. And it was who Clary once was, before Sebastian.

Clary just gave a weak laugh and busied herself with the kettle and her coffee. She hated Maia thinking that the break up with Sebastian had not changed her, and sometimes acting like everything was normal was the hardest thing she had to do. But the possibility of Maia finding out just how severely the break up had affected her scared her. She had gone from the quiet girl who thought the world of her fiancé to the kind of girl who did not believe in love, and believed all men were the same as Sebastian.

Silence settled over them as Clary stirred her coffee and Maia moodily stared into space. "So, I've told you about my horrific night. I want to hear the juicy details of your night with the Ab King."

Clary choked on her mouthful of hot liquid. Swallowing it and then coughing, she tried to regain control over her breathing. "Hot and handsome, and now Ab King?"

Maia shrugged and gave Clary a wicked grin. "Girl, I know you know what I'm talking about. You spent a night in the pool with him and all his sexy goodness."

"Oh please! Whatever you do, do not ever say any of that in Maryse's presence. Actually, do not ever say it again!"

"You know you want to tap that. So details! Spill."

"There's nothing much to say. I forgot. I was in the middle of lifting weights when the door knocked." Clary covered her face with her hands as her face began to heat up. "It was so embarrassing! There he was, all dressed up and I'm in my sweats and singlet covered in sweat. It was the most awkward-est thing I have experienced in a long time!"

Maia started laughing. "Oh man! That is gold! He was probably more embarrassed than you if he thought that everything you said to him at the party was a joke! What did you feed him. Because girl, you seriously cannot cook... Wait did you make him cook?"

Clary shifted her eyes and looked guilty. "Ah no... I kind of reheated that soup that was in the fridge..."

The sound of laughter rang throughout the kitchen. Maia was red in the face and her eyes were watering before she spoke again. "You gave him that soup? You opened that can like three nights ago and even Jordan turned his nose up at it."

Clary wrinkled her nose. "It tasted just like soup."

"Yeah, like soup that was from a can and three days old. I bet Jace noticed didn't he?"

Clary grinned and lightly shrugged her shoulder. "Hey, what can a girl do?"

Maia started back up with her laughing, and then seemed to think of something that made her sober up. "You going to see him again?"

Running her finger along the rim of her coffee cup, Clary bit her lip. She knew Maia was used to her refusing to go out with a guy again after a date, even if she did not realize that Clary didn't exactly go on dates, much less with decent and appropriately available guys. The way that Maia was looking at her now though made her wonder what Maia really thought about Clary's love life. "I don't know. He seems like a cool guy, and I have his number-" Clary paused for a moment as she remembered just how she had his number,"-but I'm not in the right frame of mind for anything resembling a relationship."

"That's bullshit Clary and you know it. You use that excuse every time, and I know you see something different with this guy. Otherwise you would not have given him our address."

Clary sighed in frustration. "It's annoying me! I can't for the life of me work out what it is with that guy. I think he earned my respect when he managed to pull off last night so cooly though. I was freaking out not knowing what to do."

"Girl, that's because you are so out of touch with the dating game. Give him a go yeah? I think you deserve just to have a guy who will take you out and pay for you to have dinner and just to have fun. I mean he's a chef. Can you imagine how many to die for things you will get to eat?" At that, Maia hung her mouth open and put on a lazy expression as thought pretending to drool. Giggling, she continued, "Besides, if anything I think he genuinely likes you. Well from what I could pick up at the party when we talked after you had done your ankle in. Although that friend of his Jonathan was a creep and deserved the crap I gave him."

"I don't know. He didn't try to kiss me or really touch me last night. Actually, he didn't try anything that night we were in the pool either. Although he was a cocky asshole at times."

"A guy who doesn't touch you... He sounds too good to be true. You sure he's not gay?"

Both girls looked at each other for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Um, I'm fairly sure he is straight."

Maia was still giggling, but then looked up at the clock on the wall. "Oh shit! We have to get to work like now!"

Clary whipped her head around to look at the time. They had half an hour to get ready and walk to work. "Oh crap! That went fast." She dumped her coffee cup into the sink and then followed Maia out into the hall.

Stoping in the middle of the hall, Maia turned to face Clary with a mischievous grin. "This conversation isn't over." With that, she skipped to her room singing something along the lines of 'Clary and Jace sitting in a tree K I S S I N G.'

While Clary giggled at her friends antics, she couldn't help but feel relieved that Maia was saved for the present time from thinking about Jordan. She knew that Maia had taken a risk in taking him back, and it was probably painful for her to have to think about. At least Clary's love life was something that Maia viewed with a personal interest and would direct her attention to until Clary agreed to go out with him again.

And if she had to admit it to herself, she did want to go out with Jace Lightwood again.

And she would remember it this time.

* * *

><p>"Ow shit!" Jace cursed as the knife he was using to chop carrots clipped the side of his right pointer finger. He dropped the knife to the bench top and lifted his right hand to inspect the damage. Jace had a 'no bleeding' policy in his kitchen, and he was pissed off at himself for being distracted enough to make an apprentice's mistake. As could be expected when using professionally sharpened knives, Jace had a cut along his finger that was already weeping blood.<p>

Griping and covering his finger with his left hand, Jace yelled out across the kitchen, "Seth! Could you grab me the first aid kit!"

Jace watched as his apprentice grabbed the first aid kit and hurried over to him. Usually Jace hated having an apprentice, but this kid was a natural in the kitchen and so none of the senior chefs minded having him around the place. Plus any additional hands were a bonus in a kitchen at a popular place like Taki's. "Thanks kid. Do you mind finishing those carrots and sticking them in the pot? I've got stuff I need to do." Seth nodded in agreement and set about chopping the carrots while Jace fished a bandaid out, wrapped it around his finger and then dumped the rubbish in the bin.

Jace walked across to the other side of the kitchen to the sinks and thoroughly washed his hands with soap. As he dried his hands on a towel he began to plan his soup. After last night's dinner with Clary and the tinned soup, he felt inclined to make a decent soup. Soup was not one of his strong skills in cooking, but he still could make a better one than a mass producing food company could.

Grabbing a pumpkin and some potatoes, Jace thought about the night before. Parts of last night had been mortifying, but now Jace could see the funny side to it. Being fed tinned soup on a date was something that had never happened to him, and the fact that Clary was so cool about it made him smile. Dessert had been pretty decent though, and he had to admit that she knew how to make a good pudding.

The best part of the night for him though was the conversation, and he had some pretty decent wedding speech material to use against Simon. He gained hardly any insight into Clary throughout the night other than that she was a fun girl, and in Jace's opinion, a tease. He remembered the way her body had pressed up against his as she had whispered into his ear about distractions and the thoughts that had rushed into his head. Thoughts hardly appropriate for an unofficial first date.

He learnt that maybe Clary was a fairly clumsy girl, despite what Maia had said at the party. Jace had seen some pretty nasty bruises on her shoulder and back that the flimsy straps of her tank top did not even begin to cover. When he had asked, she had fleetingly looked angry but then had smiled brightly and giggled and had told him that she had gotten out of bed on the Sunday morning after the party and had forgotten about her ankle. Apparently she had fallen against her wooden side table and smacked her shoulder against it. Jace was not sure whether he believed her or not.

Jace remembered the way she had jerked back from his touch as he had gently brushed his fingertips over the purple bruise marring the side of her shoulder. Clearly she did not like to be touched, he mused to himself as he roughly chopped the pumpkin. He remembered the way she had acted towards him in his bedroom about her body and decided that maybe she had body issues. Although why he did not understand; she had an amazing body that had felt unbelievable in his arms as he had carried her to and from the pool at Isabelle's engagement party. And the way she had felt pressed up against him when they were joking around with Jonathan in the pool... Jace groaned out loud to himself. If she had body issues, he was pissed off at her stupidity.

He spent the next five minutes chopping the potatoes and then began work on the soup stock. As he made it, he amused himself with thoughts of rocking up at the firm his parents worked at and giving Clary some of the soup. Although that was just being an asshole, and if he wanted to see her again he probably should not try to piss her off too much.

He wondered what it was about her that made him want to get serious with a girl again. It had been a long time since he had even considered something that had a meaning, but he guessed it was because Clary was so different to other girls. She was unpredictable, fiesty and smart.

Jace was pulled out of his thoughts by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He had banned phones from his kitchen, but being the owner of the restaurant had its perks. He fished his phone out of his pants while stirring the ingredients he had just added to the stock. He smirked as he read what was in the message.

_Jace u asshole. I can't get the fckin lipstick off the mirror. Maia freaked when she saw it was hers u used to write ur number. U so owe me._

Grinning, Jace text back:

_Babe, tonight, Taki's, 7pm._

It took longer than Jace could be patient for, before Clary replied back:

_Jerk. U owe me a free meal. ;)_

Jace smirked at that and replied:

_Done. C u tonight._

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><p><strong>I know this one is shorter... Sorry! I like reading long chapters of other peoples stories. So, what do you think about each of their views of the 'date'. Is it a date if Clary forgot and it was technically a dare given to her by Jace?<strong>

**Is this story in need of some fluff soon... Hehehehehe. I think so!**

**Out of curiosity, is it mainly girls who write MI fanfics? I find it difficult to imagine a guy writing fluffy lovey stuff about Jace and Clary, or even any of the MI characters…**

**Take care :)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter...**  
><strong>Disclaimer: I am unfortunately just a broke university student so I don't own anything but this idea. Ms Clare does.<strong>

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"You have to say yes. I don't care about your arguments Clary. That guy used my eighty dollar lipstick to write his number on the bathroom mirror. Do you have any idea of how pissed off I am about that?"<p>

Snorting loudly and almost choking, Clary replied, "That was good. I have to admit. Jace got creative there."

Maia and Clary were in the kitchen at work talking about the text message that Jace had just sent her. Clary had no intentions of saying no, but she was not keen on the idea of seeing him so soon. _That _might lead to things she was not sure she was ready for.

Maia shoved Clary playfully and Clary stumbled into the door dropping her folder. Swearing at Maia for it, she quickly bent down to gather her papers together. Holding the folder to her chest and more paper in her hands, she began to get up just as the door to the kitchen flew open.

Clary went sprawling back onto the floor to avoid being smacked in the face, and one of the delicate buttons on her blouse dislodged from the force of the folder being thrust up with her hands.

Looking up, Clary saw Maryse standing in front of her. "Clary! What on earth are you doing on the floor?"

"Hey Maryse! Oh nothing, I just stumbled, and then almost got knocked out by you opening the door. What's the rush?" Maryse rarely opened a door with the force that she had just opened the kitchen door, so Clary knew something was up.

"I was wondering if one of you are available to come with me tonight. I have a Law Society dinner tonight, and Robert bailed on me as usual. So I have a spare ticket if one of you are interested."

Clary was about to jump at the chance to avoid dinner with Jace and was about to speak when Maia quickly came forward and wrapped her hand around Maryse's arm. "Oh wow! I haven't been to one of those since Uni! I am definitely in!" She turned to face Clary, who was now on her feet brushing the back of her skirt with her hand, and gave a cheeky grin. "Clary has another date with your son tonight Maryse."

Clary mentally face palmed herself. She had forgotten to tell Maryse about their 'first date'.

"How was that anyway Clary? I was actually offended you hadn't told me earlier."

"I, ah, forgot. I didn't really expect him to show up in the first place, so it was kind of awkward."

"No, if Jace said he would be there, he would have been there."

"Clearly" Clary replied dryly.

"He has asked her to Taki's tonight apparently. Clary is going to go, so I guess your son and your employee are dating Maryse." The look Maia shot Clary as she said this was pure sly devil.

Maryse too was looking at Clary, however with a more thoughtful look, and Clary was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. "What did you say you fed him again?" she asked suddenly.

"I didn't, but I fed him soup."

"From a can?"

Clary nodded sheepishly.

Suddenly Maryse started laughing. "Wow Clary. I am impressed. Usually when girls try to cook for Jace, they go out of their way to impress him. It's about time he was introduced to the world of women like you."

"Oh believe me, I wasn't aiming to impress him in the first place." _Or maybe I was,_she thought, thinking back to the night she had agreed to cook for him. "It was just what was in the fridge and he was complaining of being hungry. I gave him beer and soup and made him watch the news."

Maia started laughing at that, and Maryse turned to look at her with an amused expression. "I agree Maia. Jace must of been horrified at the idea of canned soup. I'm impressed he ate it without trying to drag you out to a restaurant."

"Oh, he did try originally before he even knew what I was going to feed him."

Maryse raised her eyebrows at Clary but did not get to say anything as they were interrupted at that moment by the ringing of the phone, and the secretary yelling that the phone was for Maia.

"Text him back yes!" she hissed under her breath as she stared pointedly at Clary's phone.

Clary waited until Maryse followed her from the kitchen before looking back at the text message.

_Taki's, tonight, 7pm._

_Ugh_, she thought. _If I'm going to go ahead with this I might as well keep up the attitude_. With that she typed in her message and pressed the send button.

She hoped she was making the right decision.

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><p>Jace was making good time. He had exactly one hour until Clary would show up, and the restaurant was unusually quiet for a Thursday. He had left most of the day's work to his Chefs and kitchen hands and had instead focused on making the soup and other small dessert pieces to introduce into his menu.<p>

He had deemed the soup acceptable enough to feed to Clary as part of their meal, partly in order to show her what a real soup tasted like. He was going for a three course menu, with the soup as the entree. He had seen her reaction to the Salmon that day they had first met, and so decided to stick to something he knew she liked. Because of her rather unfortunate fall at Isabelle's engagement party, Jace had decided to add some of the pasta Clary had enjoyed so much as a side, along with some green beans and asparagus fried in a pan with lemon juice.

Dessert was a difficult decision. He knew she liked chocolate after last night's chocolate sauce pudding she had made, but Jace himself was not a big fan of rich chocolate desserts. Instead he settled upon letting her choose something from the desserts he had spent the day making. He did need other people's opinions after all, and Clary did not seem the type to say something was good when it was disgusting.

Jace had chosen the table at the corner of the restaurant that overlooked the river and the setting sun over it for their meal that night. It was a popular position with his customers, and regulars often left big tips for that table, but he figured that since he owned the place, he could do as he pleased.

Deciding now was good enough to leave the kitchen, Jace made his way to his office to grab his clothes. He had decided to get changed for the occasion instead of eating with her in his Chef's outfit, and if Isabelle ever found out he had done something like that, he would never hear the end it.

Grabbing a pair of black slacks and a grey long sleeved shirt from his duffel bag, Jace made his way into the men's toilets. He changed quickly and inspected himself in the mirror figuring he could probably do with a shower after being in the steamy kitchen for the day. He instead resigned himself to running his hands through his hair and giving it a bit more attention than he normally would. Working in a kitchen was hot work, and his hair often took on the appearance of being oily because of perspiration and frying fat and oils. Jace splashed his face with cool water and quickly gave his teeth a brush. In all, it took him about ten minutes to deem himself satisfactory enough to pass tonight off feeling confident in the way he looked.

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><p>By the time she had managed to leave the office, Clary had fifteen minutes to make it to Taki's. This was plenty of time for her, so she set off on foot as she normally did. She did not know whether to be excited or nervous about tonight, the roiling in her stomach not giving her any indication as to exactly what her feelings were. Her and Jace seemed to get on well, but Clary was still scarred from her relationship with Sebastian, and so was not keen on throwing herself into something new.<p>

And Jace was something new to her. This was a second date and something she had not done in a long time without harbouring ill feelings towards her date of the night. He was so laid back and down to earth that she could not help but like him. Hell, with his looks, any girl would like him even if he was an asshole who played with their hearts. But Clary no longer believed in pretty faces, and she was more than sure that Jace had played with plenty of hearts. In that sense, they had more in common with each other in breaking female hearts than he knew.

As she was walking across the road opposite Taki's, Clary stubbed the tip of one of her shoes on a piece of gravel and stumbled slightly. Turning to glare at the offending ground, Clary looked down to inspect her shoe, but got sidetracked by the sight of a startling amount of her exposed chest. Absently, she lifted her hands to her blouse to pop the button back in its hole but instead her fingers encounter a stray bud of cotton string. Glancing down, Clary realized that she was in fact missing the third button of her blouse. There was now only the first and second buttons which when done up, pulled her blouse together almost up to her neck. The fourth button was done up and this pulled her blouse closed so that a considerable amount of her skin was showing, but not her bra.

She then realised that the button must have fallen off after her graceless stint on the kitchen floor that morning. Stupid Maia.

Well there was no way she was turning up at this date looking like an uptight old lady with her blouse buttoned up almost to her neck. Jace had already seen her in a swimsuit and her workout clothes, so she figured him seeing her in a blouse that showed off more skin than normal was not all that bad.

She just hoped he did not think she was coming onto him. Because she really did not have those intentions.

Yet.

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><p>Jace was watching Clary walking towards him from across the road when she suddenly stumbled slightly, and smiled to himself as he remembered how clumsy she apparently was. He watched as her hands made their way to her blouse- which was showing a generous amount of the swell of her chest-, and watched as her mouth popped open and her head bobbed down, before she shrugged and quickly crossed the road.<p>

He was looking forward to seeing her again he realized, and was excited to let her try the food he had made for her. He always took great pleasure in feeding people food, but he had never before had the dedication to cook the kind of meal he had planned out for her tonight for a girl he had ever dated in the past. Delving into the reasons why this was not so for Clary was something he was hoping to do at the end of the night. This would be the third time he had really spent time with her, and for Jace, three times was often enough to gauge the kind of girl she was.

He opened the glass doors as he saw her walk towards them and stood aside as she walked up looking at him and smiling. "Hey! I'm not late am I?"

Jace grinned and shook his head. "No, you're actually on time. You walked here?" Jace held his arms out as she walked up to him, and was happy to find she went into his embrace without hesitation and blushed as he kissed her cheek. "I've got dinner all organized, and the best table in the house for us."

Clary raised her eyebrows and smiled as she walked beside him towards their table. "Oh really? We must thank the manager for that then hadn't we by leaving a good tip."

Jace looked at her smiling face and smirked. "The manager has already received his night's tip."

Clary shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Such a charmer." Her eyes widened however as she took in the sky outside and her mouth fell open a bit.

Jace laughed and pulled her seat out for her as they reached their table. He had timed the night perfectly so that the sun would have already set so that its glare would be gone, but the colours in the sky would be in their prime. Maryse had told him that Clary enjoyed art and painting. In fact, it turned out that one of the pictures in the Lightwood house was given to Maryse as a gift from her.

"It's pretty isn't it?"

Clary nodded and turned to face him smiling widely. "Amazing. You really must tip the manager extra just for the view."

Jace felt like he had already been tipped just from watching her expression.

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><p>Clary was feeling awkward. She had not expected any of this to be so...romantic. Clary did not believe in romance anymore, but the way that Jace had planned the night out, she was beginning to think it must still exist. First Jace pulling the door open, giving her a kiss on the cheek, pulling her chair out for her, the table and the view, and now the food.<p>

The food was amazing. Jace was a passionate talker when it came to food she found, and she was intrigued to find out more about him through his love of cooking. He had served her up some soup as the entree, and he had said she was the inspiration for it. She had glared at him for that one, but when she had tasted it, she felt like she had truly fallen in love with a man with the help of millions of tastebuds and her stomach.

It was amazing.

When she had told him that, he had grinned and given her what she was beginning to suspect was his signature look and agreed with her. Clary however got the impression that he was not so sure of how it went down with her from the looks he kept giving her and the number of times he asked her if she liked it.

Finally she got sick of having to tell him it was the best soup she had ever tried and so every time he asked her she shot him a glare and insisted he shut up or she would leave. Jace had held his hands up defensively and accepted her compliments of the soup without further questioning.

The main meal of Salmon and green vegetables and pasta further made her suspect her stomach was leading her down a path she was not sure she wanted to go down. Telling herself that it was men who had the 'stomach to their heart' and not women, did not help when Jace announced dessert was ready and she had the choice of choosing her own.

Stupid stomach acting like a stupid man.

One thing Clary definitely learnt from the food Jace served her was that she was never cooking for him in the future.

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><p>Jace believed the date was going better than expected. He had had the foresight to provide wine with their meal to help them relax and so far it was working. They were onto their second glass each by the time dessert rolled around and conversation was flowing freely, with Clary divulging more information to him about her than she had before. He learnt about her love of painting and they talked about some of the pieces in the Lightwood home that Clary had noticed while there for the engagement party.<p>

They talked about Jace's family and what it was like growing up with the Lightwood's. Clary told him about her being an only child and how her mum was a small known artist now that her time was no longer devoted to raising Clary. He formed the impression that there was not a strong bond between her and her father from the way that Clary rather shortly said that "he's a scientist" and moved onto telling him about a show being held at an art gallery that was featuring some of her mothers work.

Over the meal Jace realized that Clary was the kind of girl he was interested in, but there was still one final little detail he needed.

A kiss.

It was just a shame that he was too chicken to actually kiss her.

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><p>Clary looked at her watch and frowned. "Oh man! It's past eight thirty! I'm so sorry I've kept you Jace! Do you have to close this place up? I don't want to make you have a long night because of me!"<p>

Jace shook his head. "I've gotten one of the other guys to close this place tonight. It's not my night to be working anyway, or we wouldn't be sitting here babe."

A small crease formed between Clary's eyes but she nodded and smiled at him. "That was the best food I have ever eaten! You have talent Jace."

Jace grinned and indicated she keep talking by leaning forward and slightly cocking his head to one side.

Clary laughed, but continued talking. "OK! Fine then. You are really good. Actually that canned soup was pretty bad aye? Although considering it was in the fridge longer than it should have been, I'm impressed we aren't sick today."

Jace looked horrified. "You fed me days old soup? Women what the hell were you thinking?"

Clary looked at him laughing. "Oh grow up. Welcome to the real world where not all women can cook."

"Clearly. And it was such a warm welcome at that."

Rolling her eyes, Clary made to stand up. "Thank you for tonight, really. It was nice to eat a free meal."

Jace feigned hurt and put his hand on his heart. "Woman, how you scar me." He shot Clary a devilish grin and also made to stand up. He let her take the lead and followed her towards the glass doors. Before she could walk out them, he reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "Since you walked here, I'll give you a lift home ok?"

Clary turned to face him and pursed her lips. "You sure? I don't live far away, I can easily walk."

It did not take Jace long to make her accept defeat and agree to the lift.

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><p>The ride home was nothing remarkable. They just discussed small details about the conversations of the night but both seemed happy with the quiet interludes as well. Clary was feeling a bit nervous as they approached her place. She knew she ought to thank him and leave, but she had a strong desire to give him a kiss goodnight, although whether that was the friendly effects of the wine or what she really wanted she was not sure.<p>

Jace pulled up at the curb outside the apartment building and looked across at her. "Tonight was good. We should do it again?"

A small part of Clary swooned as she realized he was nervous when asking that question.

Stupid romance.

Clary grinned and nodded her head. "Yes definitely..." She paused, took a breath and continued. "...Um, do you want to come with me to the art gallery thing with me to see my mum's stuff?"

Now she was nervous. What the hell was this? High school?

Jace did not hesitate in giving his answer. "Oh yea, that sounds good. The way you talk about her, she sounds amazing."

Clary smiled at this flattery of her mother but nodded her head all the same. "Ok, I'll text you details when I know them myself yea?" She moved her hands to pull open the door handle but stopped and turned to face him. "Really, thanks for tonight. I had fun."

It was with that little 'I had fun' that she threw caution to the winds and leant over to Jace. He seemed to know what she was intending to do, because his hand reached up and touched her cheek just as her lips landed softly on the side of his cheek, an inch from his mouth. That was all she had intended on doing, but was rather startled to find that Jace kept his hand on her face, thus stopping her withdrawal.

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><p>Jace was dumbstruck. She had leant in to kiss him, and had missed his mouth by an inch. No doubt it was on purpose, but having her so close to him and the fact that she had made the first move encouraged him to take over. He could feel her beginning to pull back, but kept his hand on her face. She did not try to fight his touch, but was looking at him questioningly. Trying to convey words with his eyes, Jace leant in ever so slowly towards her, maintaining eye contact the whole time until he lowered his eyes and his lips ever so slightly against hers and pulled back.<p>

Clary who had it seemed also closed her eyes frowned and looked at him as he pulled away. He felt her let out a small sigh and saw her roll her eyes. She drew him back closer and he heard her murmur, "Idiot, that's not how you kiss" before her lips were on his.

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><p>It was with that final little 'kiss' that she allowed her lips to brush against his with more force than he had done to her. She could feel Jace's lips curve up in a smile and his other hand came up to touch her other cheek as they shared a short sweet kiss.<p>

Clary found herself smiling as she drew away from him and winked as she pulled the door handle and pushed the door out. "I'll text you about my mum's thing. Thanks for tonight!"

Clary stepped out of his car and made her way towards the door to the complex. She turned around as she reached the doors and gave a small wave and smile to Jace's car and watched as he slowly pulled out and drove away.

She wondered how she could tell him that her mother's show was this weekend without sounding desperate. Because after that kiss, she was more than desperate to get to know him even more.

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><p><strong>Who wants a bigger kiss? I do! Jace needs to man up!<strong>

**So review?**  
><strong>;) until next time.<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

Hello my lovelies.

Here is the next chapter!

Thank you for all the reviews! Shout out to **lovingbites** because you actually nailed what this chapter was about :)

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Ms Clare.

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><p>"So Red, tell me about this new boy you are seeing."<p>

"Huh? Magnus, what makes you think I'm seeing someone?"

"Girl, I've known you forever. I know that when you are not looking around at this crowd of delicious looking men and telling me what you like the look of; I know you are seeing someone."

Clary snorted. "Oh please, like any of these men are delicious."

Magnus gasped and placed his hand over his mouth. Surveying the female in front of him over his cocktail glass rim, Magnus simply responded, "Who is he?"

Clary looked away and pretended to be 'looking around at the crowd of delicious men'. "I don't know if anything is going to happen, but I have met this guy-"

Magnus cut her off by clapping his hands together loudly and smiling widely. "I knew it!" Upon seeing Clary's face, he made a show of straightening his face and looking sombre. "Sorry, continue."

"Interrupt again, and you won't get details," she admonished. "Well, like I was saying, I have met this guy. And I don't know what to think. I need your advice Magnus."

"Ah, advice for my darling Clary. How can I resist. Ok. Spill. I want all the details. Who is he?"

Clary sighed and ran her finger around the rim of her glass absentmindedly. "His name is Jace. He's a Chef and owns his own restaurant. He's my bosses adopted son. I've only met him four times, and he's absolutely nothing like Sebastian... I think that will be good for me."

Even though Clary had asked Magnus to remain silent and not interrupt, she was still surprised to finish her little speech and find him looking at her seriously. "He's a Lightwood isn't he?"

Clary almost knocked her drink over as Magnus' words. "Damn, you are good Magnus. But how the hell do you know Jace Lightwood?"

Now it was Magnus' turn to go silent and survey the room. He sighed and looked at Clary. "A, you work for the Lightwood's, so Jace Lightwood makes sense. And B, I had a quick fling with his brother Alec a few years back. I met Jace at work one time when Alec took me there for dinner... Clary, I think you should stay away from him."

Clary looked gobsmacked.

_What the_?

"Huh, why do you say that?"

Magnus took a slow drink from his glass and set it down before responding. He looked deep in thought. "I just don't think a girl like you is good for him."

"Whoa! Since when has a guy been too good for me? Usually you tell me that I'm not good enough for the guy."

"I know I do, and in all those situations I have been right. But this guy... Clary you could destroy this guy."

Clary sat at their little table trying to take in everything the bombshell that Magnus had just thrown on her. For Magnus to say that a guy was too good for her meant a lot. She figured she needed more information, and who better at wheedling information than a lawyer?

"OK, can you start from the beginning? Really Magnus, this is important. I think I really do like this guy. This hasn't happened since Sebastian and you know that."

Magnus was the only one of her friends who had an inkling of what she did in her spare time, and that was just because he had stumbled in on her on more than one occasion with a different man each time. She assumed he thought she was a player or had commitment issues- both which were correct- but he did not know the full extent of her interactions with these men. If Magnus thought that he was too good for her, he must be thinking of her past deeds with men.

"He's...He's just not the kind of guy to casually fool around Clary. He is like you in a way I admit- he plays with girl's hearts- but he only sees them once or twice. Not four Clary."

"Magnus, what the hell does that mean? Not four? And of course he is a player. Any guy who looks like him must be."

Magnus shook his head at her with a sad expression on his face. "This is exactly why you're not good for him Clary. You base things too much on looks. Sebastian was a pretty boy, and so is Jace, so therefore Jace must be like Sebastian. That's not how it works Clary. Jace is a one night stand guy. Nothing serious. For him to have seen you four times, that means he has a lot more than just a quick shag in mind. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I bet he hasn't even tried to put the moves on you yet?"

Clary glared at him. "For your information, we kissed last night. Although I had to initiate it..."-in the back of her mind, Clary realized that maybe Magnus was right about Jace's intentions- "he still kissed me."

Magnus shook his head. "Darling, that was a good night kiss. It wouldn't have happened if you had not have been the one to kiss him first. Where have you two been together these four times you have met anyway?"

Clary looked confused for a moment, having been distracted in her annoyance with Magnus for being right. "Um, I first met him- and thoroughly insulted him- at his restaurant with Maryse when we had lunch. Then at Isabelle's engagement party where he helped me with my ankle and we swam together in the pool. And then he came to my house for dinner on Wednesday, and then I went to his restaurant for dinner last night. What does that tell you oh high and mighty Bane?"

Magnus ignored her snarky tone at the end and instead focused on what she had told him about their meetings. "HA! See, I was right. He likes you more than just a one night stand Clary. I'm guessing he didn't touch you in the pool? Wait don't answer that, I know already judging by your face. So what happened on Wednesday then? Clearly you must have done something to get him to invite you to his restaurant for dinner last night."

Clary turned a slight shade of red and looked away. "Um, I kind of forgot that he was coming on Wednesday actually. So I might have fed him canned soup for dinner..."

Magnus snorted. "Classy as always Clary."

"He handled it pretty well. Although after I told him that it was a couple of days old, he kind of freaked out. He cooked me soup last night actually. It was pretty good."

"Clary, stop deluding yourself. He likes you. He doesn't just want to shag you then leave you. No guy looking for that will get into a pool with you -and knowing you, your bathing suit wasn't exactly innocent- and not touch you. No guy who wants the one night thing will make you soup to show you what a real soup tastes like."

Clary sighed and shook her head but did not say anything.

"Darling, take my word for this. Unless you are going to be kinder, stay away from him. Please."

"Why Magnus. What has happened to him that makes him terrified to touch me, kiss me? It's just too damn confusing!" Clary was getting frustrated now at Magnus' insistence he was too good for her.

Magnus sighed. "This is not my story to tell Clary. But the first time I met Jace, me and Alec were having dinner at the restaurant he used to work at. That kid has had a hard life. You must know he is adopted but that's not what I meant. He fell in love Clary. And he's never been the same since apparently."

"Oh Gods. You're telling me he had his heart broken by some girl and he just couldn't deal with it? You have to be joking me. I had my heart broken by Sebastian and have I changed so dramatically?"

"Yes, Clary you have. Don't even try to play the innocent little girl with me. I know what your game is, but I respect the choices you make even if I don't agree with them. But Jace's fiancé did not cheat. She died."

"Fiancé? Died? Oh shit. I'm really not good for him then." Clary let her head bang down onto the table and shut her eyes tightly.

"Clary, you are perfect for him. But you can be a heartless bitch sometimes, and that's not what he needs."

"How did she die?"

"I don't know. As soon as Alec told me about his story, he got this adorable little sad face and I got distracted."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Trust you to get distracted with a crying cute boy."

"It's a good thing Alec is gay Clary, or I would seriously never talk to you again for calling him cute. That boy is so much more than just cute."

Clary raised her eyebrows up at him. "So what's the story with you and him then? You still seem a little NOT over him."

Magnus sighed. "I don't know what happened between me and Alec. I had to call things off of work in Europe, and then when I got back we just never caught up again. I figured I had been away too long and that he would have moved on. He's gorgeous enough to easily find another guy."

Now it was Clary's turn to look at Magnus with a sad expression. "Oh Magnus, Alec never found anyone else. Or if he did, he's not with him anymore. I have run into Alec a couple of times and as far as I'm aware, he is still alone. And he always looks sad… Or maybe it's pissed off and angry at the world. Both looks are the same to me."

Magnus who had been in the process of finishing his drink during Clary's words slowly lowered his empty glass. Gazing off into the distance, Magnus asked, "You don't think he would still take me back do you Clary?"

Clary pursed her lips and looked at Magnus thoughtfully. "Magnus, I don't know. He genuinely seems to dislike me. Maybe that's because I spilt my drink on him, or because I spent half a night with his sisters fiancé, but if he is as good as you say, what's the harm in finding out?"

"Spilt a drink on him? Spent the night with Isabelle's fiancé? God Clary. What the hell?"

Clary shrugged her shoulders and stood up. "Meh, what happened between me and Simon is nothing you really need to know. I saw him out one night. We had a couple of drinks together then figured out we knew each other even though we did not recognize each other. We then decided to go back to my place to watch a video our parents made of us when we were seven. Nothing happened Magnus."

Magnus looked at Clary speculatively. "I don't need the details, but if that's all you want to say, then fine. Now how do we go about winning Alec back?"

Clary grinned wickedly. "Magnus, your awesome best friend has access to his brother. Leave it all to me. I'll text you when I have a plan."

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><p>After hearing Magnus' story about Jace's past, Clary was not sure of what to make of the situation. In her mind, she could not imagine Jace ever proposing to a woman, seeing him instead to be one of the many male players she had encountered in her life.<p>

And like Magnus had said, that was where her downfall was. She saw a pretty boy and was reminded of Sebastian, and so she labelled them as players and cheats. Hell, she even got cosy with them at the detriment of their girlfriends. Too many women were naive in Clary's opinion, and bringing to light the tendency of men to forego faithfulness for a pretty face and some flirty words was just a job she took upon herself to do.

Clary had invited Jace to view her mother's artwork last night after their dinner date. Today was Friday, and she had purposely neglected to tell him the art show was this coming Sunday. After their dinner- and kiss- she had needed to get her head together to sort through her emotions where Jace was concerned and so had enlisted the help of Magnus.

Clearly, Magnus' help had only made things worse.

_'He only sees them once or twice Clary. Not four.'_

Argh! Clary could not work out how someone like Jace could be so shy. True, he was cocky, but when it really mattered he became sensitive and thoughtful. Magnus had been right in guessing that her swim suit was provocative, yet Jace had only made crass remarks about it, but did not actually touch her. He even went so far to cover her with his jacket before taking her down to the swimming pool.

After leaving Magnus on their lunch date, Clary was even more confused than ever. But she had invited Jace to her mother's show, and she had promised Magnus she would help him, so Clary decided she needed to suck it up and be a big girl instead of hiding from something that could be more than just a casual fling. The difficult part now was texting something decent to Jace to asking him to come on Sunday.

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><p>"So, Clary's agreed to another date huh?"<p>

Jace looked up from his phone to see his adopted sister Isabelle looking at him with a toothy grin.

"Actually, no. I have been offered a modelling contract Iz. These Hollywood people can't keep their hands off me. And I don't blame them."

Isabelle rolled her eyes and walked into his room. Sitting down next to him, she replied, "You only grin like that when it's Clary involved. I'm smart enough to notice that you're smitten. You haven't looked this happy in a long time Jace."

"I'm sure you would be happy as well if someone wanted to pay you money to show your body around as well Iz. But as it is, nerd boy is enough to scare them away from you."

Isabelle glared at her brother. "Stop with the nerd jokes about Simon Jace. They are getting old."

"True. Maybe I should start up with the rat face comments instead."

Sighing loudly and flopping backwards onto the bed, Isabelle stared at the ceiling. "You really like her don't you. I know you do. I know your haven't even kissed her yet, and that means you like her."

"Wow, real insightful Madame Lightwood. Tell me then, how am I going to get Alec to come with me to an art exhibition this Sunday?"

Isabelle sat up fast and stared at her brother. "What?"

"Clary has gotten four tickets to her Mum's art show this weekend, and she's asked me to invite Alec. Apparently her other friend knows him or something."

"Huh, interesting. And who is this friend?"

Jace put his right hand behind his neck and massaged it gently. Before replying he to a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Magnus Bane."

"Alec's going to kill you if you even ask him to go Jace."

"Yea, I know. That's why I need your help Iz. Clary's growing on me, and I don't really want to disappoint her."

Isabelle sighed and eyed her brother warily. "You so owe me lover boy."

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><p>So, this chapter has shown us a bit of information about Jace. It took me a while to come up with something that would make Clary feel bad for him, because clearly she's not big on the whole 'I had my heart broken and now I'm lost, boohoo' thing.<p>

So, let me know what you think about these new developments. I'm bringing Magnus and Alec's relationship in from here :) (who can picture Magnus walking around an art gallery in all his glittery glory? He would be like a work of art himself.)

Until next time! :)


	14. Chapter 13

Thank you very much for all the reviews I received last chapter! Almost to 100! (I'd love to make it there and beyond with this chapter!)

Enjoy :)

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><p>"Alec lightwood. Where the hell do you think you are going dressed like that?"<p>

Jace and Alec both visibly winced at the pitch of their sister's voice. Simon, ever the good fiancé, moved to her side and soothingly rubbed her back murmuring for her to calm down. Both Jace and Alec rolled their eyes and Jace made an exaggerated gagging face.

"Jace Lightwood, I saw that! If you want to make a good impression for Clary, I strongly suggest you try to please her best friend... And sending Alec looking like that is NOT going to impress Magnus."

"What's wrong with the way that I look?" Alec pouted. "I always wear black."

"Yeah well your soul is not black so don't even try that one on me... And do you even remember Magnus?" Now it was Isabelle's turn to wince, and she slapped a hand to her mouth. Turning to Simon, she head butted his shoulder whispering "Oh crap I shouldn't have said that."

At Isabelle's words about Magnus, Alec paled and looked at her with a dreary expression and said with a sad voice, "I do remember him Isabelle. More than you might know."

With that, Alec walked back up the stairs leaving Jace, Simon and Isabelle to stand there in silence. "You shouldn't have said that Isabelle. You know how Alec feels about Magnus. It was hard enough for me to convince him to even come with me today."

Watching the siblings silently look at each other communicating with their eyes was making Simon feel a bit uncomfortable. Bringing Isabelle in for a hug, he looked to Jace and said in a soft voice, "Jace, he would prefer you more than either me or her right now. Go up to him and calm him down."

Jace nodded at Simon in agreement. They both knew how men could get when the person they loved left. For Simon it was when Isabelle broke things off with him because he was not ready to get serious, and for Jace it was when his fiancé had died.

For Alec it was when Magnus -the first and only man that Alec had ever readily admitted his love for- had broken things off to go overseas. Jace knew that Alec still regretted his reluctance to fight Magnus over the break up, thinking that Magnus had wanted to be relationship free while in Europe. Alec had later told Jace that the men over there would have obviously been more glamorous than Alec, and so he had not put up a fight for that reason.

Now that Jace had spoken to Clary about the two, he knew that Magnus still held feelings for Alec, but he had assumed that Alec would have moved on. Walking up the stairs to Alec's room, Jace snorted to himself as he realised that two men in a relationship could be just as insecure and moody as a man and a woman when it came to admitting feelings.

At least with men there were no tears. Or so Jace hoped.

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><p>"Jace just put him on the phone alright. Magnus says he can talk him into coming today. Believe me; Magnus is beside himself with excitement. Does Alec realise that Magnus has not had a relationship since him? Seriously, just let Magnus talk to him."<p>

Jace looked at the door in front of him. It was like being a teenager all over again where Alec would slam his door in Jace's face and Jace would shout at the block of wood telling him to stop being so pathetic. Except now they were adults, and Alec needed to start acting like one instead of the sulky moody teenager he had once been.

"Fine! But I'm telling you, Magnus had better be good, because nothing moves him in this mood."

"Aw, where's the trust Lightwood. I am better than good. Now put Alec on the damn phone!" Jace was startled to hear Magnus' voice instead of Clary's coming into his ear, but his wit was never surprised.

"So it's Lightwood now and not Blondie? I'm impressed Magnus. It seems you have finally pulled on your purple sparkly big boy undies. Unlike my brother here."

"Actually today they are yellow polka dots. Sparkles tend to get a bit uncomfortable down there. Just put Alec on the phone! Clary's looking pissed off, and if you want to get into her pants, put him on the OW! CLARY! I was joking!"

Jace had to cover his mouth and pull the phone away to stop himself from being heard by Magnus as he snorted out loud. Trying not to laugh at the situation Magnus was probably in for saying Jace wanted to get into her pants, he said as drily as he could, "Just hang on a sec."

Muffling the phones speaker against his chest, Jace banged on the door to Alec's room. "Oy, Alec! Open the door!"

"Piss off Jace!"

"Aw, come on man! You know Isabelle speaks without thinking and what her fashion sense is like. Magnus never cared what you wore before, why the hell would he care now?"

"Go away Jace! You know I didn't want to see Magnus again in the first place."

Seeing an opportunity to make Alec open the door, Jace put the phone to his ear and said loudly, "Hey Magnus? Alec doesn't want to see you again. I think your sparkles make him uncomfortable. I have a friend who I work with who would love to meet someone like you though. I can call him up..."

Jace cut off as the door in front of him was viciously thrown open and a glowering Alec stood in front of him. Sticking a dazzling smile on his face, Jace winked at Alec and continued. "Yea, that was Alec. He looks like a scary gothic creature that walks around cemetery's at night and talks to the dead. All he needs now are tattoos and piercings and... Huh? ... What the HELL? Alec already has a tattoo?"

Alec's eyes went from narrowed in anger to wide in shock within a matter of seconds and he quickly kicked Jace in the shin before snatching the phone off him when Jace jerked reflexively.

Jace heard Alec hissing "Why the hell did you tell him that Magnus!" before the door was slammed shut in his face. Smirking at a job well done, Jace made his way back down stairs.

"So, guess what I found out about Alec sister dearest... our big brother has a tattoo."

Isabelle, who was sitting curled up next to Simon on the couch looked over at Jace with a look of surprise. "No kidding?"

"Yea, it's true. He was telling me about it once."

Isabelle and Jace both looked at Simon in shock as he said that. Not noticing the looks he was receiving, Simon continued facing the television. "Him and Magnus both got one done when they were together. Magnus' was a pair of lips on his bum I think."

"Well, that's nice to know about Magnus. But what does Alec have?" Jace's voice barely covered the sarcasm that was oozing out of it as he talked about Magnus.

Isabelle giggled at his tone; Simon could be terrible at gossip sometimes.

As they were both watching Simon, they noticed the red flush to his face. "Oh, well Alec has-"

"Simon, say it out loud and you will regret it for the rest of your life. Are we ready to go Jace?"

Everyone swung to face the stairs where Alec was standing in the same clothes as he was ten minutes ago.

Isabelle scoffed quietly at the sight of Alec still in his plain black long sleeved shirt and black pants, but did not say anything.

"So Magnus convinced you huh? Well I'm not complaining. Let's go, we need to be there in two hours and we need to pick them up on the way."

Shooting one last glare at Simon, Alec followed Jace out the door.

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><p>To say that the reunion of Alec and Magnus was awkward would be an understatement.<p>

Alec had stood deathly still as Jace had buzzed for Clary, but when face to face with Magnus, he had shifted from foot to foot and fiddled with a loose piece of fabric that was hanging from his shirt. Magnus had simply stood there taking him in with a smile on his face.

Jace and Clary had eyed each other as the four of them stood on the threshold of clary's building, but after some awkward 'hellos', Jace had smirked at Clary and nodded his head in the opposite direction and as he took her hand and drew her away from the couple. "It isn't so bad over here away from them. Just let Magnus work his magic. Alec takes some time to warm up to people he feels have wronged him."

Clary raised her eyebrows in response and after they had stopped walking turned to look at Magnus and Alec standing close but still not interacting. "I bet he doesn't like me," she murmured.

Jace chuckled and moved to her side. "No, not particularly since you spilt a drink on one of his only decent shirts and now brought Magnus back into the picture. Alec never got over him...and he probably doesn't want Magnus to know that since it was Magnus who called things off."

Clary slowly drew her eyes away from the two men she was watching to look at Jace. The sun had come out from behind a cloud and made his hair light up spectacularly gold. Blinking, she replied, "Magnus never got over him either you know. I've known him for a couple of years now and I've never seen him get serious with a guy."

Turning his head back to look at the two men still standing silent sizing each other up, Jace murmured, "Then why did he call things off? Alec never understood."

"He thought Alec wouldn't want to wait for him to get back. Long distance relationships can be hard I guess, and Magnus probably thought he was doing Alec a favour."

Jace snorted. "Some favour. Alec has been a sour ass for most of the last few years."

"Oh, I know. I witnessed it remember." Clary grinned at saying this and turned to look up at Jace. "We should get going soon. It takes about half an hour to get there."

Jace looked at his watch and nodded in agreement. Putting his arm around her waist he drew her in close so his mouth was at her ear. "Does your mother know I am your date today?" He trailed his hands along her arms and continued, "Because you look too damn good for me to keep my hands to myself."

Clary blushed slightly and extracted herself from Jace's embrace. She knew she looked good; she had dressed up for him after all. She was wearing a strapless green knee length summer dress with low heels. Instead of tying her hair up like she usually did whenever she saw Jace, she wore it loose, letting the red waves fall down her back. "It is my mother's show; of course I would look nice." Turning from Jace to look at the men in front of her, she called out, "Magnus, we need to get going now. You and Alec have plenty of time to catch up today."

Magnus -who was facing in their general direction- raised an eyebrow at her but nodded all the same. Clary turned back to look at Jace who had a knowing smirk on his face. "What?" she asked.

"He doesn't want to come today does he?"

Clary sighed and shook her head. "No, that's not it. He was just letting me know that he's been waiting for me and you to say we should leave."

Jace raised both eyebrows at this in surprise. "Why us? It doesn't look like they are making much progress over there to be sitting next to each other in a car for the next half hour."

"You didn't listen to what they were talking about on the phone did you." Clary said as she turned away from Jace with a grin on her face. A statement more than a question; she knew he would not have listened.

Jace shook his head and almost reached out for Clary. Dropping his hands at the last minute, he moved to stand behind her and bent down to whisper in her ear, "No, I'm a guy. Guys don't eavesdrop through doors."

Giggling, Clary turned to hit his shoulder. "I'm a girl. I don't need to eavesdrop on my best friend. I get to be in the room providing moral support."

"HA! Moral support? I gave Alec that once. He ended up with a broken wrist after punching some guy."

Clary laughed and grabbed his arm, leading him towards his car. Watching Jace walk around to his side of the car, she said "Maybe the moral support should be my job when it comes to Magnus and Alec. God knows we don't need any more broken spirits when it comes to those two."

Jace, who had opened his door paused to look at Clary on the other side of the car by the front passengers door. "You really don't like using the word 'heart' do you?"

Looking startled at his words, Clary frowned slightly before turning to watch Magnus and Alec walk towards them. "No, I don't. But spirits break harder than hearts and Alec's seems pretty broken."

Jace who had just looked at her as she said this slowly nodded his head in agreement. "Yea, Alec was pretty broken." He paused to nod his head at Magnus and ruffle Alec's hair as they opened their doors to the car. After all the doors were shut- Clary's being last after giving Jace a warming smile- Jace murmured softly, "And you're right, spirits are harder to break."

But Jace knew his was starting to get its act back together. He just needed to find out what had happened to Clary's spirit to make her not believe in 'hearts'. It had not escaped his attention that she avoided the word 'love' and it made Jace curious.

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><p>The car ride to the art gallery was silent mostly except for the bickering of Magnus and Jace. Clearly getting their antagonistic relationship back on its feet was not taking too much effort. Clary found herself smiling over at Jace every now and then whenever he bested Magnus. As he was her best friend she knew she should side with Magnus, but making Magnus speechless was a difficult task, and it appeared to be something Jace did naturally.<p>

Jace on the other hand was not even trying to wind Magnus up. Their banter came naturally to him, but he couldn't help but to smile every time he caught Clary smiling at him. Jace was preoccupied mainly with thoughts of Alec. He was curious to know what Magnus had said to him, but given Alec's usual sulky mood, his brother's lack of participation in conversation was nothing Jace had to worry about too much. Jace was more concerned with how today would impact on his brother if the two did not sort out their problems. He hoped Magnus was as assertive as the last time he had known him, because Jace knew that Alec would not be the one to fix their little misunderstanding.

Silence fell in the car as Clary told Jace to take the next exit off the highway.

Well, it was silent until Magnus piped up, "So Jace, you're entering Clary's old territory. You're going to have to stake your claim early before all the boys of her past try their hardest to get her again."

Clary, who had been drinking out of her drink bottle choked and turned in her seat to glare at Magnus who just shrugged and winked at her. Next to him Alec looked uncomfortable and shifted his gaze outside.  
>Jace on the other hand smirked and looked at Magnus through the rear view mirror. "Magnus, no man is going to try chatting Clary up when I'm with her. Besides, they will probably turn in the opposite direction to shield their eyes when they see you."<p>

Clary turned to face Jace looking torn between outraged and amused. Jace just sent her a wink as he waited at a corner stop sign. Huffing loudly she crossed her arms and haughtily told him to turn left.

Jace smirked to himself. He was a guy; he could see the lure in Clary, and he knew that if there were men she used to know at this art show he would have a hard time keeping her to himself. He had no problem in letting other men know she was not up for grabs, and Jace was looking forward to seeing the various looks on her face as he staked his claim.

Clary on the other hand had trepidations about bringing Jace into her old town. Girls she used to go to school with would likely be there; the gallery they were going to being the only one in her old town, and her mother was well known within the area. Magnus had it wrong when he had said Jace would have to stake his claim; it was going to have to be her staking her claim on him if she didn't want to see him towed off by any of the bimbo's she used to call friends.

She also had a feeling Sebastian would be there. The last she had heard he was still living in their old street two houses down from her mother. Clary could not help but think that there was no better way to prove how over him she was than by showing off a man so much better than him.

Both Clary and Jace smirked to themselves as they got lost in their plotting.

Today was going to be an interesting day.

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><p>My mind is coming up with crazy devious schemes of how the art show will go! I am particularly interested in finding out what my muse will come up with should Clary come face to face with Sebastian again!<p>

Let me know what you think, or what you want to see happen! Jace jealous? Clary jealous? Them to admit their undying love for each other after realising how jealous they get over the other? (hahaha, just a heads up, that won't happen =P )

Who wants Alec and Magnus to make up? (I'm thinking that cute little scene in CoG where Alec throws himself at Magnus during the marking for Clary's mark would make for an awesome make up scene!)

Until next time,  
>Take care<p> 


	15. Chapter 14

**Hello dear readers.**

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter, I am in my last year at Law School, so I am constantly busy. Thank you all for your reviews! The simple 'Update' from jackforce17 and the awesome review from Juwairiya was what gave me the kick up the bum to finally post this… And boy is it LONG!**

**Disclaimer: All MI characters belong to Cassandra Clare. I just like playing with her toys.**

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><p>Clary stood outside the wide building looking up at the intricate carvings and bold colours on the roof of the local art gallery. She had not been back home in many years, and had only agreed to come today because she knew she would have Jace and Magnus to keep her from falling into the pit of despair she felt every time she looked at familiar places and saw familiar faces. 20 years of her life she had lived here. She had fallen in love here, was prepared to marry and have kids here. And she had been broken here.<p>

Now as she looked around at the quaint little community she could not help but feel a flicker of triumph: she had only grown stronger since leaving, and her position at a well respected law firm was more than she would have had, had she stayed here.

Her mother unfortunately did not see it that way. She could not understand how Clary could just pack up everything one day and leave, never to return.

And she had never been required to return until now; six years later. Her mother had been adamant that Clary returned even for one day. As Jocelyn's only daughter, Clary felt she had some obligation to show up at her Mother's art show even if she did not particularly want to be there. She had skirted good daughter duties for six years claiming she was busy with work and so had only seen her mother during those brief holidays her mother took to visit her.

"Reminiscing about old times Red?"

Clary started as Jace's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yea I guess. It's been six years since I was here last you know. I only live half an hour away, but I've never felt like coming for a visit."

Jace chuckled and moved closer to her back placing his hands on her shoulders. Gently he began to massage them as he murmured, "Bad memories, huh?"

Exhaling softly and forcing herself to relax under Jace's touch, Clary nodded. "You have no idea."

"Well this is nice and cosy, but Clary darling I'm sure Jace would much prefer a room if you are going to have a heart to heart."

Clary went red and moved quickly away from Jace. Cursing herself for acting like a love struck teenager caught doing something wrong, she turned to glare at Magnus. Coughing awkwardly to cover his amusement at Clary's reaction to Magnus' teasing, Jace took advantage of the situation presented to him and grabbed Clary back to him by the arms. Pulling her flush against his chest, he whispered into her ear loud enough for the other two men to hear, "Did you hear that Clary... Next time we have a heart to heart we are getting a room."

Clary huffed and made a weak attempt of stomping on his foot, but did not move away. This surprised Jace immensely, but he was not going to question it. "Fine, whatever pretty boy. Now let's make our way in. I'm not keen on working on my freckle tan today." Suddenly the smile that had been playing around her mouth as she spoke dropped and she tensed in Jace's arms. A car that she recognised well had just driven into the car park.

_Well well well, today is going to be interesting_, she thought to herself. Turning to Jace, she stuck a brilliant smile on her face and winked coyly at him. "Come on Blondie. We might even find an empty room by the end of today." With that, she gripped one of his hands in hers and walked quickly towards the glass entrance door.

Jace- who felt like he was being dragged rather than being the one to escort- was trying to process Clary's quick change in behaviour. She had gone from blushing embarrassed girl to coy flirt within a matter of seconds. Before reaching the doors, Jace turned his head back to Magnus and Alec to see if the two men were following them. Alec was trailing behind them looking amused for once, while Magnus was still standing still looking at a car that was just parking.

Seeming to feel Jace's eyes on him, Magnus turned to face him and after a pointed look from Jace, Magnus shook his head and shrugged.

_No idea, _Jace took his actions to mean.

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><p>Magnus smirked to himself as he walked beside Alec into the gallery. It appeared that Sebastian was making an appearance today, and he for one was more than curious to know how Clary would play this out. Magnus had only met Sebastian once, and had instantly disliked him. He and Clary had been dinning out at a restaurant one evening when a man had walked up to their table. Clary- who had been laughing at something that Magnus had said- had instantly sobered up and her body had gone deathly still. Magnus had looked from her to the figure looming over their table and had at first thought him a gorgeous looking man, and had had to resist swooning at the deep voice that the man possessed. Clary on the other hand looked far from being tempted to swoon and Magnus had worried if she was still breathing.<p>

The conversation that had taken place between the stranger and Clary had been short and clipped with Clary looking ready to kill someone. After the man had left, Clary had taken the first step in their new friendship and explained to him that he was her ex boyfriend and that he had called their engagement off after telling her he had found someone better. "_He literally came up to me, held his hand out and asked for my ring. Then he told me to get out of his apartment as he had some other girl coming over,_" were the exact words Clary had said to him at that little restaurant table that had made Magnus instantly disregard all warm thoughts of the stranger and take an instant disliking to this Sebastian. Since then, Magnus and Clary had developed a close friendship where they had the utmost trust in each other not to divulge their secrets. It was a friendship Magnus cherished as he did not have many friends who would display such utter loyalty to him.

Clary had first met him when she had stood up for him when he had been verbally assaulted on the street one night by a group of men who had called out derogatory names to him about his clothing and sexuality choice. Clary, who had been walking home from work, had heard these verbal assaults and had approached the men and verbally attacked them for the way they had been treating him. Despite the fact that Clary looked like sex on legs in a tight pencil skirt, low cut blouse and very high stilettos, she managed to deliver a scathing and harsh attack on the group of men for being such pathetic excuses for human beings. Magnus had stood opposite the street staring open mouthed as the girl with the extreme good taste in clothing defended his honour, and he had taken an instant liking to her. He had asked her to join him for a drink at the local bar and she had accepted, starting one of the most devoted friendships he had ever experienced.

Since those early days of their friendship, Magnus and Clary had come along way and had supported each other through numerous situations. Magnus was just sad that he met Clary after his relationship with Alec as he was sure her wisdom and feminine intuition would have stopped him from making the biggest mistake of his life. And today as Magnus and Alec walked into the Art Gallery following Clary and Jace, Magnus looked at Alec and determined then and there that this boy was not escaping from him again. Magnus had been an idiot the first time round, and he would never make the same mistake again. He just had the tricky task of winning Alec over and convincing him that he would not leave again. And if there was one thing Magnus liked more than purple sparkly headbands and his cat, it was a challenge.

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><p>To say that Clary was nervous would be an exaggeration. She had with her one of the most gorgeous men she had ever met and her trusty best friend, and for Clary that was enough to face the horrors that today was likely to bring. As Clary walked down the hallway to where her Mother's art display was being held, she imagined herself to be the picture of perfect calm and dignity. She had her head up high, her hair in perfect ringlets, an expensive and beautiful dress on, her hand clasped in Jace's…and a glare on her face as she spotted girls she had grown up with whispering to each other and staring at Jace.<p>

Clary heard Jace chuckle and pull on her hand causing her to slow down and look at him questioningly. "What's up? You look like you are ready to kill someone. If I'd have known coming here made you this angry, we could have just hung out and just seen a movie instead you know."

Smiling up at him, Clary shook her head. "It's nothing, I went to school with half these girls we've passed, and the story behind my disappearance has probably been twisted by so many rumours they are probably shocked I have the nerve to show my face… Or disappointed that I'm still alive and not the victim of a mass murderer or something." The last part she muttered darkly as she noticed one of her high school rivals- and reason for her breakup- shooting her a death glare.

Chuckling, Jace gave her a wink. "It's because you're here with a guy as hot and sexy as I am. Every girl here hates you already."

Clary laughed at that and turned to face Magnus and Alec who had just reached them. "Magnus, Jace appears to be under the impression that he is hot and sexy. Could you please explain to him exactly how wrong he is?"

Magnus pouted and exaggerated a thinking face. "I'm sorry Clary," he said after a short pause, "My mind fails to come up with anything wrong with that because you know he is, I would know he is if I hadn't already have seen sexier, and judging by the girls here, they all know he is."

Clary stomped her foot and growled, "Some best friend you are."

Magnus smiled sweetly at her and winked at Jace when she turned around to hide the smile that Magnus knew was forming on her face.

Inspecting the room Clary instantly went cold. "Oh, crap, no way. It's too early for this shit." Clary muttered to herself and then turned to face Jace desperately. "There is a guy coming this way who I really don't want to talk to. Look like you love-..." Clary was interrupted by a smooth voice that made her cringe.

"Cup Cakes, is that you?"

"-me," Clary finished, and turned around with a grimace to face the man standing in front of her. "Meliorn, wow, how are you?"

"Cup Cakes, I knew it was you. That red hair of yours has featured in my dreams too much Sugar."

Clary could see Jace out of the corner of her eye raising both eyebrows, and Magnus let out a bark that was quickly covered as a cough. _Traitors_, she thought. "Oh… That's nice. So…" Clary looked at Magnus screaming with her eyes to get her away from this man, "What brings you here today?"

Meliorn looked around with exaggerated movement and winked at her before leaning in to whisper in her ear, "I came because I knew you would be here today. I've not forgotten that night in my bedroom, and I'm here to offer you another night with Mister M.J."

Trying her best not to gag at what he was insinuating, Clary coyly winked at him and whispered back just as he had, "Mister M.J wouldn't be able to handle me again."

"Oh, I'm sure he is much tougher than last time Cup Cakes."

"Well, how could I resist such an offer then Meliorn? Unfortunately I'm only here for the afternoon, and then my friends and I are heading back to the city."

"Oh, Clary, don't be silly. If you want to catch up with Mister M.J we won't stop you. I'm sure it has been ages since your friend here has seen you."

Magnus has a death wish, Clary thought to herself. Turning to glare icily at her best friend, Clary said, "No Magnus, there is nothing to do in this town you guys would be bored if me and Mister M.J got reacquainted. We made plans to have dinner tonight anyway."

"Well, we could always go to our secret spot Cup Cakes while they stay here." Meliorn looked excited at the thought, and Clary warily realised he was remembering their past experiences at their 'secret spot'.

"Oh I couldn't possibly. I'm here for my mother today, and I have to be a good daughter."

Meliorn looked disappointed, but then smiled and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "No problems then. Another time. What is your phone number?"

Internally, Clary groaned. Then seeing Magnus smirking at her, she decided payback was in order. Reciting the number, she watched as Meliorn quickly typed the keys and then pocketed his phone. "It was nice seeing you again Cup Cakes. We shall catch up soon." With that, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips before turning and walking away.

"Seriously Clary, you gave him my number? I am so disappointed." Clary smiled sweetly at Magnus as he feigned a look of disappointment.

"You deserve it. You should have saved me before it even got to that stage. Now I need to brush my teeth and down a bottle of vodka to forget this memory."

Magnus snorted but turned away from her and started to talk to Alec.

"Mister M.J?" asked Jace as they started to follow the retreating figure of Meliorn to the art display.

Clary groaned. "Mister M.J. He calls his, ah, 'member' Mister Meliorn Junior. Worst experience of my life."

Jace did not look impressed. "Worst experience of your life? That small was it?"

Clary frowned at his tone, "I wouldn't have a clue how small it was. My knee connected with it the moment he suggested I shake hands with Mister M.J."

Jace was still glaring at Meliorn's back but did not say anything in return. Trying to lighten the mood, Clary looped her arm with the crook of his elbow and started humming under her breath.

"Do many people around here have 'secret spots'?"

Clary rolled her eyes. If she could believe that Jace was the type to get jealous, she would assume he was jealous now. But the idea of confident and cocky Jace getting jealous was surreal. "In high school yes; a lot of us had little secret spots where we would hang out with friends. Meliorn and I hung out with the same group of friends down by the park after school most afternoons."

"Oh," was all Jace replied, but appeared to relax and tightened his elbow around her arm, drawing it closer to his body.

In silence the two of them walked through the crowd looking for Clary's mother.

"I'm guessing your mother has red hair as well Cup Cakes?"

Outraged that he would call her that name, Clary stopped in her tracks and glared at him as he turned his head to see why she had stopped. "Do not ever call me that again. Understand?"

Grinning, Jace nodded. "No problem ma'am. But on another note I can see your mother if she has hair as red as yours."

Clary turned to where Jace was looking and a smile broke out on her face. "Come on Blondie. Let's get this torture over and done with."

Snorting, Jace responded, "That bad is it?"

Clary winked at him and loosened her arm out of Jace's elbow to approach her mother not seeing the frown that briefly flitted across Jace's face.

* * *

><p>As Clary and her mother talked, Jace scanned the room looking at the different art pieces. He had been introduced to Jocelyn Fray as 'My Friend Jace' and he had received such a calculating look from Clary's mother that he had felt uncomfortable... Until Clary had put her hand into his and squeezed gently. Never one to miss the opportunity to impress a woman, Jace had instantly switched to charming and conversed with Jocelyn until her face had lost its tightness and she was smiling.<p>

Now Clary and her Mother were talking about art and Jace was tired of feigning interest as he did not understand the point of the different swirls of colour on canvas... However, if Clary asked to do a nude portrait of him, he was sure he could develop a quick interest in the skill. Ever the male, Jace inspected all the other males in the room to see what sorts of boys Clary grew up with. He had not liked the Meliorn guy, and Jace was curious to know if most of the guys in this town were like that.

Suddenly, Clary's grip on his hand tightened and Jace looked to her to see if he was supposed to be paying attention to something. Seeing that Jocelyn was still talking to Clary, Jace pretended to join in the conversation nodding every now and then, but still felt Clary standing tense next to him. Jace realised that Clary was not paying attention to her mother when Jocelyn stopped talking expecting a reply from her daughter. Following the direction of her gaze, Jace looked towards the throng of people gathered around a table supplied with food and locked eyes with a man that looked vaguely familiar. Jace looked away awkwardly after a few seconds as he did not like to stare at men for too long; he had experienced awkward situations in the past where he had had to adamantly specify his preference in women, but the person looked like someone Jace used to know.

Jocelyn like Jace had discovered her daughter's lack of attention and looked towards the table as well. "Oh, it looks like Sebastian made it today love." Next to Jace, Clary nodded curtly but did not speak. "Are you still determined to not speak with him? It has been years since you last spoke, maybe time has changed you both."

Jace had no idea what Jocelyn was talking about, but clearly Clary did as she replied stiffly, "Mum, there is no way in hell am I going over to that jackass and making friends with him. If you know me at all, you should know that."

Silently Jocelyn nodded. "I suspected as much. But his mother misses you Clary. Just because you and Sebastian are over does not mean you need to cut his mother out of your life. You were the daughter she never had and she still loves you."

"Then she shouldn't have taken his side and said that sometimes people move on."

Jocelyn sighed and shook her head but did not say anything as she was prevented by the arrival of Magnus. "Jocelyn! Darling, it's lovely to see you again!"

"Magnus! My dear it's lovely to see you again too! I love what you have done with your hair! Your hairdresser and I need to sit down!"

Walking up to Jocelyn and embracing her, Magnus laughed and smugly said, "Oh, don't be silly. I do my own hair darling."

As the tall sparkly man and the slender red haired woman conversed, Clary moved closer to Jace and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to the bathroom; will you survive out here alone?"

Grinning, Jace replied, "Is that my cue to follow you so that we can finally have our heart to heart?"

Clary rolled her eyes and hit his shoulder. "Maybe later lover boy," before she walked away.

Looking at Alec, Jace noticed the other boy looked uncomfortable standing next to Magnus and Jocelyn, so Jace engaged him in conversation until they were interrupted by a voice coming from behind his right shoulder. "Jace Wayland, is that you?"

Turning, Jace came face to face with the familiar looking man. "Ah, yeah?"

"I knew it man! It's me Sebastian Verlac."

It clicked then for Jace that he was right in thinking the man looked familiar; as a child before he moved in with the Lightwoods and changed his name, he had a childhood best friend called Sebastian. "Shit, Sebastian! Imagine seeing you here! How have you been mate?" Out of the corner of his eye, Jace noticed Jocelyn and Magnus stop talking and turn to look at them both.

"You two know each other?" Jocelyn asked, her gaze and question directed at Jace.

"Yes, we go way back. Sebastian used to be my neighbour before I moved houses."

"Oh, how... Nice." Magnus was glaring at the man when he said this and Jace wondered why.

Jocelyn, who was still looking at Jace said, "Well, this must be a nice surprise for you two meeting again after so much time."

Sebastian nodded and clapped Jace on the back. "You should stay and come out for a beer after this mate."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jace noticed Jocelyn shaking her head and making discreet hand movements in his direction. Bewildered, he turned to look at her, but realised her actions were not for him. Turning, Jace saw Clary coming towards them with a frown on her face.

Confused by Magnus' and Jocelyn's cold behaviour towards Sebastian, Jace was thrown even more off balance when Clary came up to his side and wrapped her small hand around his. Magnus cleared his throat and winked at Jace before pulling Alec off with a "Come on Alec, let's go check out the food."

Silence fell upon the group of four people and Jocelyn muttered a quick excuse saying she needed to talk to friends. After she left, Jace noticed Clary was glaring at Sebastian who in turn was looking at her with an amused expression. "Well hello Clarissa."

"Sebastian."

"You two know each other?" As soon as the words came out of Jace's mouth he wanted to kick himself. Obviously they knew each other, and judging by the death grip Clary had on his hand and the way she was looking at him, Jace assumed their history was not friendly.

"Yeah man, this little feisty red head made her appearance at school the day after you left," Sebastian was smirking down at Clary who was still glaring at him. Jace felt a slight pang of jealousy that Clary had attended his old school the day after he had left, but ignored it. What was past was past, and Jace was a witness to the woman she had become. Sighing internally, Jace responded to Sebastian,

"Well that's a shame I missed her grand appearance. The first time I met her she insulted me so I have no troubles imagining what she did to our grade back then," Jace grinned down at Clary as she turned her glare from Sebastian up to him and he winked at her before turning back to Sebastian. "But in response to your earlier question, I can't do beer today, but I'm sure we can arrange to meet up another time?"

Shrugging, Sebastian grinned. "Yeah why not. It's been too long since we last saw each other mate." With that, Sebastian pulled a card out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Jace. "Just give me a ring or something when you want to catch up."

Taking the card from Sebastian, Jace had to suppress a smirk; who keeps business cards in their pocket when they are going to an art show? Nodding his head in thanks, Jace stuffed the card into his jeans pocket and turned to Clary. "Want to get some wine?" he asked.

Before Clary could respond, Sebastian piped up, "Clarissa doesn't drink do you baby?"

Watching her glare at him Jace chuckled and was about to correct him when Clary spoke. Her tone was all ice and frigid winds. "I am not your 'baby' any more Sebastian. And I grew up a long time ago because of you," Turning her back to Sebastian, Clary faced Jace and said, "Not wine, let's make it something stronger."

Reaching out to grab her shoulder, Sebastian turned her around to face him. "Clarissa, you know you don't hold alcohol well…and Baby I've told you alcohol is bad for you and will ruin your figure. You will turn into a complete embarrassment, and Baby, it's not fair for Jace to see you make a fool of yourself in front of all these people and then have to carry you home."

Shocked that Sebastian would talk to Clary like that, Jace watched as the little red head's eyes narrowed. "You lost the right to tell me what to do a long time ago Sebastian. I don't need your approval for anything that I do anymore. As far as I am concerned, you can go fuck yourself if you think I am going to take your shit again." Turning to Jace, Clary pulled her hand out of his grip and nodded in the direction of the drinks table, "I'll be over there when you're finished talking to this worthless trash."

Frowning down at Clary questioningly, he nodded. "Yeah I'll be over in a minute." Jace watched as Clary walked away from him with her head held high before turning to face Sebastian with an eyebrow raised but did not say anything, instead waiting for Sebastian to speak first.

"Are you and Clarissa together then?"

Jace shook his head honestly. "No, we've only known each other for a couple of weeks."

"My advice; stay the hell away from her. We used to date in school and she was a fucking psycho."

Looking around uncomfortably, Jace responded, "She seems perfectly normal to me."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at this response and said, "Ask her what she gets up to in her free time."

Nodding his head with absolutely no intention of doing so, Jace tried to make a quick exit. "Anyway we are probably going soon, and I've got to find my brother and his friend. I guess I'll talk to you later." With that, Jace walked away from Sebastian and made his way across the room to where Clary was standing talking to a group of females about her age.

Jace was used to drawing the attention of the female crowd, and it seemed that here in the midst of Clary's old town his looks still drew attention. As he approached Clary, a few of the women she was talking to looked at him and smiled widely as they inspected what they could see of his body. Ignoring them- he had already seen what he liked after all- Jace stood next to Clary and listened in as she talked with the other women. She smiled up at him and Jace winked back. One of the women, a slender blonde spoke to Clary, "So, is this your new toy boy since Sebastian?"

Clary shifted her position so that she was leaning away from Jace and replied, "No, he's just a friend. And Sebastian was a fuck-wit. You should know; we were only best friends for eight years after all."

At Clary's words, the blonde grinned up at him and stuck her hand out. "Sheila Barbarino."

Taking her hand, Jace nodded in acknowledgement. "Jace Lightwood."

Sheila widened her eyes and looked at Clary in surprise, "Jace Lightwood? Bloody hell girl, why the hell are you _just_ his friend? This man is one of the best chefs I have ever come across."

Surprised, Jace looked at the blonde. He had never seen her in his life, or if he had, he could not remember her. When one looked like him, he had many women coming onto him. "You've tasted my cooking before?"

The blonde nodded her head. "Me and my ex-boyfriend used to drive into the city every now and then to go out for dinner. Taki's was my favourite."

Jace smiled at the compliment and nodded his head at the girl in front of him. "Thanks, I'll be sure to tell the manager that."

Laughing, the girl winked. "Give my compliments to him."

Clary had stood silent next to him during the conversation but had slowly edged closer to him. "He is a fantastic cook isn't he Sheila. He made me an amazing dinner last week just to prove to me how soup was made."

Frowning slightly, Jace wondered if that was how Clary saw their dinner date. Jace had not gone to all that trouble just to prove how soup was made, but he wondered how Clary saw that night. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Clary sliding her hand into his and moving her body closer. It seemed today was a day of immense confusion for Jace as everything about Clary's actions threw him mixed signals.

Eyeing the couple with their hands clasped, Jace saw Sheila wink at Clary. "Nevertheless Clary, he is quite a catch. A man that can cook…" The blonde made hand movements in the way of a fan, and Jace saw Clary blush out of the corner of his eye. "Well Jace Lightwood, I shall certainly be paying Taki's a visit more often now that I know you are a friend of Clary's and such a gentleman."

Jace winced at the simpering tone the woman used as she attempted to flirt with him. _Seriously?_, he thought to himself. Giving the blonde a kind smile, Jace replied, "Well, I look forward to seeing you at Taki's. Just say you want the Managers special and I'm sure something great will be on your plate."

The blonde squealed, much to Jace's distaste, and tried to engage Clary in a high five, which Clary allowed reluctantly. "Oh that is fantastic. I can't wait!" Giggling, the blonde turned back to the group of woman that had stood still and silent during the exchange and engaged them back into conversation over how fantastic it was that she had met the Manager of Taki's.

Rolling his eyes, Jace looked down at Clary and saw she was frowning slightly. Jace just squeezed her hand and led her off to the drinks table. "You ok?" he asked her.

Clary nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'd just forgotten how loud Sheila squealed."

Chuckling Jace nodded. "I thought I was going to go deaf."

Grimly, Clary nodded. "I'm sure that's the reason her father wears hearing aids." She stopped talking as they reached the drinks table and Jace listened as she ordered a gin and tonic. Turning to look at him, Jace indicated his preference of a beer and pulled out his wallet ignoring Clary's protests of him paying. "I have a pretty girl on my arm Babe; I am the epitome of a gentleman today."

Clary snorted at that, but did not protest further. They wandered the gallery looking at various pieces and Jace listened as Clary passionately talked about the ones that she liked. Not that Jace understood the big deal, but it was nice having Clary look so awed and captivated. They met up with Magnus and Alec, and gave Alec a reprieve from Magnus' attempts to shove caviar into his protesting mouth.

They hung around the gallery for the next two hours, with Clary avoiding Sebastian and Meliorn and various other men she used to go to school with, while Jace did his best to fend off the various advances of women Clary used to call friends. The best part of the day for Jace however was knowing that when he dropped Clary off at home he was not going to be scared of giving her the kiss he had so long wanted to give her. Clary may call him _just_ her friend, but Jace had picked up small actions by the red head that gave him suspicions that maybe she felt something for him more than just friendship.

And as they wondered the gallery with Clary brushing against him often and her cold looks at women who talked to Jace, these suspicions were good enough for now.

* * *

><p><strong>So, alot of information in this chapter; Sebastian gave Jace a huge hint as to what kind of girl Clary is... I'm going to have so much fun writing <em>that<em> chapter. **

**Let me know what you think. Too fast, too slow? Too much info in a chapter? How did I do with making Jace and Clary jealous?**

**:)**


	16. Chapter 15

**I'm back!**

**Terribly sorry about the 3-4 month delay with this chapter! I am a terrible person. I don't know if I have still got my old readers after this long wait, but for those of you who are reading this that have read from the beginning... I dedicate this chapter to you. And to my new readers…you lucky things not having to wait forever for this chapter. I hope it is worth the wait!**

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. If they were, I would know already who Brother Zachariah is and not question every single plot!**

**Oh and thoughts on the rumoured casting of Isabelle? As an Australian I used to watch neighbours when she was in it, and I don't really have an opinion of her acting skills... But Isabelle is one bad-ass chick, so I hope she gets that right!**

* * *

><p>"So Jace, tell me, what do you do with yourself?"<p>

Clary rolled her eyes and shook her head. She and the boys had agreed to change their dinner plans in favour of having dinner at Jocelyn's house and now she was beginning to regret it. She was 26, but her mother could still embarrass her when it came to men. "He's a chef mum. Now what's for dessert?"

Throwing a quick frown at her daughter, Jocelyn smiled widely at Jace and Clary started mentally cursing her mother. Things were bound to be awkward after this if her mother said he should cook for Clary. Usually Jocelyn berated Clary's inability to handle herself in the kitchen, and had always told her as a little girl that she would probably need to marry a chef in order to survive. And now here was an extremely good looking chef in Jocelyn's house; '_she must be having a field day imagining what our children would look like'_, Clary thought wirily. To her immense annoyance, this thought was followed by the image of a small red haired child with tanned skin and golden eyes. It was actually quite disturbing as with hair like hers, tanned skin just looked freaky.

As Clary shuddered to the image in her head, her mother clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Oh that's brilliant Jace. Where do you work?"

Jace allowed himself to swallow his food before answering, "I actually own a little restaurant called Taki's in the city."

Internally, Clary groaned. She was not going to hear the end of the 'He is a lovely young man Clary, you need to start to settle down now, and he is perfect for you' speeches bound to be coming her way as soon as dinner was over. Her mother had been disappointed that Clary had made up her mind to become a lawyer and career woman rather than start a career that could allow her to become the type to stay at home and raise children. Jocelyn had wanted her to become a teacher much to Clary's continued disgust; kids could be complete little shits.

"That is quite an accomplishment for someone your age Jace. It must be something you enjoy?"

Jace nodded his head in agreement and once again allowed himself to swallow his food before speaking. "It's something I wanted to do since I was a kid, so my parents gave me a loan to start it up, and now it's doing pretty good."

Jocelyn smiled sweetly at him but then flicked her gaze to Clary. "Have you been there before sweetheart?" her mother was looking at Clary with an intense expression.

Ungracefully- polite manners could be left to Jace since he was the guest- Clary shoved a large forkful of food into her mouth to delay her response hoping one of the other boys would answer for her. Looking up, she realised they were all too busy eating their own meals to pay attention to her discomfort so she swallowed and replied to her mother, "Yea, I go to Taki's a fair bit. My boss is Jace's mother so we go there for lunch sometimes."

"And honey, don't forget the amazing meal he cooked for you last week," piped up Magnus from his place opposite her. Alec smirked next to him and Magnus winked. Magnus had been the recipient of many of Clary's rants over her mother trying to get her to settle down, and so could tell that Jocelyn was sniffing around with the hopes of finding some good news about her daughters love life.

Grimacing, Clary muttered, "Yea to show off," but then looked at her mother quickly to gauge her reaction of Magnus' statement. She could literally smell the smoke coming from her mother's mind as her brain furiously worked to piece the information together, and she needed to take drastic damage control actions. "He came around to my house last week for dinner, and so he cooked for me on Thursday." There, that was something her mother could not pick apart to find ulterior motives for wasn't it?

"Oh Clary, how you wound me," came Jace's mocking voice from next to her. Turning her head to look questioningly at him, Jace shot her a cheeky grin and then turned to Jocelyn and said, "She invited me around for a dinner of canned soup last week, and as the perfect gentleman that I am, I had to repay the favour by cooking her a real homemade dinner."

The look of shock on Jocelyn's face was evident. "You fed him canned soup? Good God Clary, you should know better than that. I would hope that you are going to make it up to him?"

"Oh, she already did," came Jace's reply with only Clary and Magnus knowing what he was referring to. Clary- who rarely blushed at sexual innuendos- rolled her eyes but did not acknowledge him further. Magnus on the other hand looked gleeful and was waggling his eyebrows up and down at her.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at Clary from across the table, but seemed pleased with Jace's response- if shuffling the food around on the table and asking if anyone wanted more food or drink was an indicator. Clary was the first to accept the offer for more wine. She felt she deserved it after her interaction with Sebastian earlier, and if she knew her mother at all, the after dinner conversation out by the pool would require her to be slightly tipsy. She could only imagine what her mother was going to talk about, and Jace was perfect ammunition for her 'you need to settle down' speech.

As Jocelyn's only child and a girl, Clary had been raised with her mother interfering with her romantic life. As a young teenager Clary and her group of girlfriends regularly had sleep over's, turning Jocelyn's lounge room into a jungle of pillows and blankets with a floor made up of various chocolate and crisp packets. Jocelyn had always taken it upon herself to make friends with the girls and join in the latest gossip. It was through this gossip that she had learnt of Clary's relationship with Sebastian- Clary had managed to keep it a secret for 2 whole weeks- and various other embarrassing things no teenage girl wanted her mother to know. Jocelyn had always been interested in the topic of boys and often gave the girls advice on how to deal with boys and what it usually meant when a boy was annoying you. Since those early days, Jocelyn had always felt like she had a special part in Clary's love life and had interfered often in her relationship with Sebastian, and since their separation, had tried to force her into numerous awkward situations with other single boys.

And now here was a situation presented to Jocelyn that probably went beyond her wildest dreams; Jocelyn was probably already arranging the colour theme for their marriage.

As Clary observed the way her mother shot covert looks at Jace and herself- maybe Jocelyn did not need to ask what Jace was referring to when he said she had already made it up to him- she suddenly had a thought that had her grinning to herself. Just because she did not acknowledge Jace's reference to their kiss did not mean she could not make him pay for surely making her mother and Magnus insufferable for the rest of the night. "So, mum... tell Jace all about the inspiration for your art display today. He got very confused as to what all the different lines and strokes meant, and I felt it was easier for you to explain than me."

There, two birds killed with one stone; her mother was now distracted with thinking that Jace was interested in art and Jace now had to sit through a conversation about Art and actually pay attention. Which was clearly something he had not done earlier that day judging by how most of his attention had been directed at scrutinizing the other men in the room. Clary had found it amusing at the time; he was such a male.

Jace looked towards her with an eyebrow raised and she smirked back at him in glee at her ability to turn the tables on him. As predicted, her mother launched into the history behind her inspiration and as Clary had expected, Jace turned to Jocelyn and entered the conversation out of an obligation to remain polite rather than any real interest.

As Clary sat back and watched Jace jiggle his right leg up and down in annoyance, she began plotting ways in which to make Magnus pay for his part in the 'why are you not dating him' talks her mother was bound to throw her way for the next two months. Magnus- who was chatting quietly with Alec- looked up as though he had felt her gaze on him. Slyly, he winked and mouthed "sexy time in a small room" at her before flicking his eyes backwards and forwards between her and Jace with some very indiscreet eyebrow wiggling.

_Oh, this is so Game On_, Clary thought to herself.

* * *

><p>As Clary had expected, the after dinner conversation was moved outside to Jocelyn's pool area. It was proposed another bottle of wine be opened, and Jace took it upon himself to select a bottle from Jocelyn's vast selection, much to Clary's dismay. She was expecting him to choose a heavy full flavoured wine- but was instead mildly surprised to taste a light sweet Rose.<p>

Thanking him for the glass, Clary walked away from the group to a swinging chair- she had always loved her mother's outdoor swinging chair over the stiff table setting chairs- and gazed around her old backyard. She had so many memories from the time she had spent living with her mother, but that was all in the past. Magnus, Alec and her mother were seated around the circular outdoor table drinking wine and discussing something Clary had no interest in. When her mother and Magnus got talking, Clary often found herself bored out of her smart lawyer brains; who in their right mind could spend over an hour talking about hair colours?

Looking around, Clary could not find Jace but shrugged it off; he was probably visiting the bathroom or something. She had an amusing memory of him writing his number on her bathroom mirror and chuckled quietly as she remembered Maia's complete shock to find her lipstick mangled after Jace had finished with it.

Clary let herself rock backwards and forwards until a breeze picked up and swung her gently. It had been a long and emotional day for her, and she was more than ready to fall asleep. Closing her eyes and relaxing, she smiled slightly as she thought of Jace being jealous of the men in her town. As much as it annoyed her that she would be doing something her mother had been pestering her about for years, Clary let herself drift off to thoughts of what it would be like to actually date Jace.

* * *

><p>After Jace had handed the glass of wine to Clary, he watched as she lowered herself into the swinging chair and smile at him in thanks. Jace nodded his head and then walked back towards Magnus and Alec who had just been engaged in conversation with Jocelyn. Briefly interrupting them, he asked if Jocelyn minded if he could borrow the bathroom and she consented with probably more enthusiasm than the occasion called for and directed him with a series of arm movements.<p>

Jace wondered around the house as he made his way to the bathroom and looked at the many paintings on the wall noticing which ones had Jocelyn's signature on them and ones that had C.F neatly printed on them. The differences in their style was subtle and Jace- being a person with no artistic ability- probably wouldn't have been able to tell a difference in them had it not been for the signatures.

He found the bathroom without any drama and on the way back outside passed a door with Clary's name painted on in fancy writing and decorations of flowers surrounding it. Curious as to what Clary's childhood room looked like, Jace cracked the door open and peeked his head in. A double bed was pushed up against one side of the wall to his left and a window with a window seat took up the wall directly opposite him. He saw a number of clothes draws and a dressing table with a mirror on it, but overall, the room had a cold un-lived in feeling. He knew it had been sometime since Clary had lived in it, but he was surprised that the room had seen very little of Clary's artistic influence in it. While he himself lived in a very simple white room, Clary's old bedroom was very different to what he expected of the once teenage girl.

'Lost Lover boy?'

Clary's voice came from behind him and caused Jace to jump and turn around in shock with his hand over his heart. 'Jeez Clary, warn a guy next time.'

Jace watched as she smirked at him but did not say anything. After a few short seconds Jace began to feel uncomfortable and he shifted on the spot closing the door behind him quietly. 'Er...Shall we go back outside?'

Clary shook her head and placed her hand over his hand that was still on the door knob. 'They are talking about clothes. I have no interest in joining a Magnus and Jocelyn conversation about clothing. Last time I did, I ended up having to go out shopping with Magnus. Never doing that again.' As she spoke Clary had manipulated Jace's hand to twist the door knob and open the door but did not walk in. Turning to Jace, she flourished her arms wide and with a grin said, 'Go on in.'

Looking uncertain but complying, Jace stepped into the room and waited for Clary to follow him. He watched as she closed the door with a soft click effectively cutting off the light streaming in from the light in the hallway. The moon- which was half full- allowed a weak white glow to emanate around the room in place of the lost harsh yellow lighting but the light barely brushed the figure of Clary who was resting her back against the door.

Jace heard her breathe a sigh but couldn't see her face to determine if she was sighing out of contentment or frustration. Deciding to break the silence, Jace came up with the first thing that entered his mind, 'You really hate shopping?'

Jace heard Clary snort and watched as the hazy figure of her small form grew more clearer as she walked towards him. 'You have no idea. I shop for clothes I need; I find no pleasure in it. Unlike Magnus who would spend his whole life shopping.' Clary paused and cocked her head in thought before continuing, 'Which probably explains why he owns his own little shop actually. Huh, who'd have thought?'

Jace grinned down at the smaller woman as she stood opposite him, 'Yea, mum said the masks for Isabelle's wedding came from Magnus. He's pretty cool in that respect.'

Jace watched as Clary's eyes did something he hoped he would never see again. All she did was roll her eyes, but the dim white light in the room reflected off her face hinting at more demonic or darker things. He'd seen his fair share of horror movies to know that all white eyes could be a bad sign, but scoffed at himself for thinking so ridiculous. It was Clary; she couldn't hurt him even if she tried.

Not knowing the direction of Jace's thoughts Clary giggled and made to move past him to walk towards the window on the opposite wall. 'Did you just call Magnus 'cool' for owning a shop that sells glittery masks and other costumes? Because I think he is looking for another employee if you need another job.'

'Oh real funny Fray,' Jace replied as he turned to watch her walk across the room. It was a considerably large room; it seemed that both Jocelyn and Clary liked wide open spaces, and as Jace finished speaking Clary was lowering herself onto the little shelf like seat with grace.

'I am aren't I.' It was clearly meant as a statement and not a question, and Jace had no problem detecting the dripping sarcasm.

Jace chuckled and shook his head at her. She was gazing out the window and Jace was content just to stand there and watch her in silence. She seemed to need the break from people after the day she had had, and he was tempted to walk out of the room and give her some space. As he turned to leave she spoke to him in a soft voice, 'Don't go. Please...Come over here Jace.'

Jace peered at her questioningly but did not put up an argument as he slowly made his way towards her. The light was brighter by the window so she was more light up and her skin glowed a soft white colour that completely bleached out the freckles on the bare arms that were resting on her propped up knees. He watched cautiously as she turned her gaze from outside towards him and he felt better when she smiled encouragingly at him gesturing with her hand for him to sit down. 'This is probably my favourite spot in the whole wide world,' she declared suddenly as soon as he was seated and comfortable.

Surprised at being on the receiving end of such personal information, Jace looked towards the red head and nodded his head. 'You do seem more calm I guess...' then he grinned a shit eating grin at her. 'And that's a first for me. Usually women can't keep their hands to themselves when they find themselves in a darkened room with me.'

Clary rolled her eyes and lightly nudged his thigh with her foot. 'Such an ego. I must be the pin bursting the bubble your ego lives in by not throwing myself at you then. I would say I am sorry to be such a disappointment to what you expect from anything with breasts... But I'm not one of those air headed women who think you look like a fallen angel.'

'Huh, you think I'm a fallen angel?'

'No, I said I _don't _think you look like a fallen angel'

'No one has ever compared me to a fallen angel before. I think you must have compared me to a fallen angel in your mind during one of those many scandalous daydreams you have had about me. Unless Magnus has been talking about me again…?'

Jace was enjoying this light teasing with Clary. Personally he thought she was beautiful; the most flawless angel, but he didn't see the need to tell her that.

'If Magnus was not so enamoured with Alec, I don't doubt he would compare you to some otherworld-ly creature. But I don't think he would compare you to an angel.'

'Why wouldn't he? I am perfect. I even make a chipped tooth look perfect-' Jace opened his mouth and grinned at her as though to prove the point, '-So the question I ask is, why would he not compare me to an angel?'

'Oh please. Don't flatter yourself. You're like every other asshole who knows he is good looking.'

Jade and Clary sat staring at each other during the silence following Clary's rather nasty words and Jace was saved from having to speak by Clary sighing and resting her head against the window. 'Sorry, that was uncalled for.'

Jace nodded his head slowly. 'Yes, it was. I don't think I liked it...'

Clary turned her head to look at him but started smiling when she realised he was grinning at her. 'And in acceptance of your apology, may I just point out that you said I am good looking.'

Clary groaned loudly and raised her hands to cover her face, shaking her head. 'Fine! If you ever utter this out loud I will deny it to my last breath. Yes, I admit it. You Jace Lightwood are good looking. Happy?'

Jace exaggerated a thoughtful face and pursed his lips at her as he contemplated. 'I guess I should be...But I think the only thing that will make me feel better about the fact that a pretty girl said I was an asshole... is a kiss.'

As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. He had not taken offense at her words because he knew he was an asshole at times, but he wondered if he had gone too far in his little joke in requesting a kiss from her. Clary was a hot-headed girl at times, and Jace did not particularly feel like walking around Jocelyn with a red handprint on his face. Nothing screamed 'asshole' like a red handprint.

* * *

><p>Clary stared at Jace in shock. Did she just hear right? He asked her to kiss him as a payment for her words? She knew she had been wrong to say it, but being here in her old bedroom where she had spent a lot of time with Sebastian was dredging up thoughts and feelings that were better left alone. But Jace was nothing like Sebastian, yet exactly like him at the same time. They were both cocky, yet where Sebastian craved acknowledgement of his achievements, Jace was more subtle and read the people around him to determine if he was satisfactory. They were both good looking and could have any pick of female they wanted, something Sebastian flaunted and constantly reminded her of when they were together, yet Jace did not appear to notice the looks he received from women. Both were hardworking men, yet where Sebastian relied upon other people to help establish his success, Jace literally created his own success with his bare hands. Clary had after all been a witness to the creations his hands could make that night he made her dinner. And finally, both men clearly had different ideas of what 'love' meant. Sebastian had been sleeping with other women during his engagement to her, and had not shown an ounce of remorse for crushing Clary's heart. Jace on the other hand had been engaged but his fiancé had died which caused the end to the engagement prematurely.<p>

It was wrong for her to keep comparing Jace and Sebastian. As Clary gazed at him she couldn't help but think about the first time she had kissed Sebastian and the first time she had kissed Jace. Sebastian had kissed her on their first date without even asking or making it romantic, and before the night had even been over. It was not a kiss Clary liked to think about. Jace on the other hand had been shy and unsure of whether he was allowed to kiss her.

It had been years since she had been in a serious relationship and Clary knew that unless she wanted to grow old with fifty cats, she needed to start trusting again. And here was a fantastic man in front of her asking for a kiss from her. She knew it would take a lot to trust this golden haired 'angel' but he was everything Sebastian wasn't, and that conclusion for Clary was enough to give her the courage for what she would do next.

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><p><em>'Crap, crap, fuck, shit<em>!' Jace's mind screamed at him. He was still seated next to Clary on the window seat and she was still staring at him as though she was staring right through him and Jace was beginning to feel the pressure.

Across from him, Clary sighed and banged her head against the window three times with her eyes closed shut. Jace gulped and his mind continued ranting at him. _'You are a complete tosser, you douche! Now she is going to slap you and storm out! She's never going to talk to you again just because you were joking when you asked for a kiss. Jace Lightwood, you are the complete definition of a jerk_!'

Suddenly Clary took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. 'Jace, I'm sorry. Really I am, but-'

She never got chance to finish. Jace had stood up quickly upon her apology feeling like a complete ass. She wasn't even going to laugh it off or tell him to piss off; she was apologizing because she didn't want to kiss him- didn't see him the way he was beginning to see her. Not trusting himself to talk in an emotionless voice, Jace smiled at her sadly, nodded his head in understanding and then turned around to walk out of the room.

But he never quite got the chance to do so. As he had turned, a hand gripped his wrist tightly. 'Jace, where are you going? We're talking. If I don't do this now, I don't think I ever will be able to again. Please, just... Just hear me out OK?'

Jace turned around to look at the woman sitting in front of him. Her eyes were wide and she was biting her lip hard in worry. Jace just wanted to kiss it to stop her from hurting herself. He knew she was going to reject him. What had started out as childish bickering had gotten so much worse and now the brief friendship they had had was probably over because his brain to mouth filter needed replacing.

He nodded his head and watched as she scooted back over to her side as he sat down. He didn't say anything. She had asked him to stay and talk, and so now the ball was in her court. Just a shame that he knew he was going to be the one caught up in the net only half way across.

Clary was watching him as though she was deliberating something. She suddenly opened her mouth but closed it just as quick and began to fidget. Jace was getting impatient with her already. He had never thought Clary was the type of girl to beat around the bush, and here she was, unable just to say the words she had asked him to listen to. Jace shook his head and got up. 'Look Clary, you don't need to explain anything to me, alright. I... I shouldn't have said what I did. It was not my place to do so. We had better be leaving soon anyway. I know you have an early start in the morning.'

Once again he turned as though to walk away but Clary's hand reached out for him again. Jace was tempted to shake it off and just continue walking, but he wasn't the type of man to blatantly ignore a woman who wanted his attention.

'Jace, just... Just quit it ok. This isn't easy for me and I need your help, and God help me, but every time you try to walk away, you just make me want to do this.' Jace had approximately 5 seconds to absorb what Clary had said before she had stood up, grabbed his face in her hands and lowered his head to meet her lips.

This was not like their first kiss. _This_ _should probably be called their first kiss_, Jace thought to himself. There was nothing gentle about Clary in this kiss. It was as though she was trying to take out all the frustration and anger she felt about her day out on his lips.

Not that Jace minded though. He enjoyed passion, and with her red hair, Clary was fiery hot passion.

He kissed her back just as forcefully and slid his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. Her body was much smaller than his, and his arms easily encased her. Clary responded by slipping her fingers through his hair and rubbing in a way that made Jace unintentionally open his mouth in pleasure.

Kisses on the lips were one thing. Kisses including tongue were another, and Clary boldly stepped across that line by teasingly flicking her tongue around his. Jace responded in kind but in a much more masculine way; she had had her fun, it was his turn now. As he manoeuvred them so that he was sitting on the little window seat and Clary was perched on his lap, he deepened the kiss. Jace was beginning to get carried away; Clary was like a breath of fresh air and he needed clean air like a drug. He realised however that they both needed real air, and so he drew their lips apart reluctantly, trailing kisses along her jaw and up towards her ear before finally planting a chaste kiss on her temple.

Clary's lips were swollen and her eyes were wide reflecting the moonlight as she pulled back and gazed at him in shock. 'God Jace. Where the _hell_ did you learn to kiss like that?'

Jace smiled at her but did not respond. That was a story for another time when they were both not so emotionally vulnerable. 'I wasn't kidding you know when I said we had to leave soon. But..-.' Jace sighed and unwrapped an arm from around Clary's body to run it through his hair. Clary's fingers caught his hand as he tried to return it back to its original place near her bum, and she brought his hand down to her side where she proceeded to idly play with his fingers. '-Argh, damn Clary. I've wanted to do that since the night you came to Taki's and ate that pasta with me.'

_Oh, great one, dumbass. Now she's going to think that you have been fantasizing about her for ages. Real smooth._ Jace was beginning to get sick of listening to the little voice in his head. He looked away from where Clary was still playing with his fingers and grinned as he noticed the shy smile on her face. _So maybe I haven't scared her off quite so much_.

Clary quirked an eyebrow at his confession but went down a different train of thought than Jace expected. 'You're right. We should be going soon. But, before we do...' Clary brought the hand she had been playing with to her lips and kissed the centre of his palm. 'I really hope this does not make things awkward for us when we next see each other... But, if you are ok with it... I think I would like to see you again soon...'

_And here we go..._came the little voice in his head as Jace grinned at her. His ego had undergone a drastic enlargement from five minutes ago when he had thought Clary was going to reject him. 'Well, I certainly have no problems with taking a pretty thing like you out for a date next week in that case... But can we leave Magnus at home next time? His purple pants kind of get distracting...'

Clary laughed and slid her legs behind her to touch the floor. 'I have no problem with leaving Magnus behind. As much as I love him, I have to agree; purple sparkly pants are distracting.'

As she got off, Jace snaked a hand out to grab her waist and spun her back towards him. 'Before we leave...' and the next two minutes were spent with short unhurried kisses. Their passion had died down considerably after their harsh attack on each other, and if there was one thing Jace Lightwood could _never_ be accused of, it was that he was not thorough.

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><p><strong>Kisses ;)<strong>

**I have 3 exams in 5 days next week, and then classes are over. I have every intention of finishing this story before it becomes a year since it was first published.**

**Until next time, take care!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Ah, my apologies!**

**This chapter has been horrible to write! But I finally got inspiration... in the form of watching some cute Australian men surf at the beach because my 8am lecture was cancelled.**

**As usual, Ms Cassandra Clare owns anything TMI related.**

**I thank you for all your reviews. And those demands to update... Talk about making me feel guilty!**

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><p>'So.'<p>

'So what?'

'You kissed him didn't you!'

'Magnus! Ssshhh! Geez, he's in the kitchen. No need to screech that one out.'

Magnus turned his head and looked from side to side inspecting the tables surrounding them before turning back to face his annoyed best friend and winking knowingly at her. 'Spill. I want details woman. Are you eloping? Am I invited to the wedding? Does Jocelyn know you are corrupting her son's virtue?'

Clary rolled her eyes. Trust Magnus to turn this into a big deal.

Marriage...HA, yeah right!

'Ok, first Magnus, I hardly think I could corrupt Jace's virtue. Secondly, are you trying to make things awkward for me when it comes to Jace? Or me and my boss for that matter? Because you know, I don't think Jocelyn knows you and Alec are together... I won't hesitate to bring you two up in a conversation you know...' Yep, blackmail was always the way to go.

Well, it was the way to go when the person was not Magnus. Instead of quietening her best friend down, bringing up Alec made him light up even more.

If that was even possible.

'Girl, you have no idea! It seems Isabelle couldn't keep a secret, so she spilled everything between me and Alec to her mother. Apparently Maryse knew something was up because Alec has been wearing better sweaters lately. Those ones I had to throw out were hideous. Holes and everything!' Magnus made an exaggerated show of shuddering before looking at her with a pensive expression. 'You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Maryse knows about you and Jace. Alec says that his brother has changed heaps in the past few weeks you two have known each other. Apparently, he's happier and more willing to get involved with Isabelle's wedding.'

Clary nodded her head in understanding. It would have been hard for Jace to have to see Isabelle and Simon happily preparing their marriage when his own experience of being engaged was far from happy.

Just like Clary's.

Inwardly, Clary sighed. She was 26, yet she had only ever been in one serious relationship before. She had agreed to date Jace- well, that's what she thought was agreed upon between them over the weekend- but she wasn't all that too sure how serious they would get. Or how soon. People in their late twenties like Jace moved faster with relationships than people in their early twenties right? She was not sure if she was ready to emotionally invest herself in a new relationship especially when she still had a long way to go before being able to trust men again. Even if Jace did seem to be made from a different stock to most other men. 'Is that good or bad Magnus?'

Magnus looked up from twirling his latest fashion accessory- a sparkly head band- between his fingers and gazed at Clary with a knowing look. 'You're freaking out aren't you? You're going to go all Psycho shower scene scream on me soon I bet. Are you really that afraid Clary?'

Hesitantly, Clary replied slowly 'No, not afraid as such... I just don't know where to start. God Magnus, I'm such a mess with relationships that I wouldn't know how to start one and keep it going without getting all paranoid that he's seeing someone else... I mean he's gorgeous. Why the hell is he considering someone like me? Blonde, busty and blue eyed seems his type. I'm just a short red head with freckles.'

'And you don't see yourself the way other people see you Clary.'

Both Magnus and Clary jumped at the new addition to the conversation, neither having heard or noticed someone approach their table.

'I mean it, Jace doesn't see these things as flaws, just like Alec doesn't find it weird that Magnus likes to wear purple sparkly headbands,' Isabelle said as she pulled out a chair opposite Clary.

'Hey! What's wrong with my headbands? You stole my blue one the other day!'

'Semantics my dear Magnus. You say stole, I say borrowed.'

As Magnus and Isabelle quibbled over the headband, Clary blocked them out of her head. Despite her denial to Magnus, she was scared. Not necessarily of Jace, but of what he represented. Sebastian had been good looking, but it had never entered Clary's mind that he would give into those girls who used to try flirt with him. Jace was definitely good looking, and like she had just said to Magnus, she had her doubts as to whether she was really Jace's type, or if Jace just liked the challenge that her stubbornness and refusal to let him win any argument provided. Besides, her little hobby of outing cheaters was without a doubt counterproductive to any possible ability for her to form a relationship anyway. How the hell was she supposed to trust a man when she purposely tried- and sadly managed to- seduce them? They just gave in so easily to pretty words and a pair of breasts.

'Clary.'

Clary was pulled out of her musings by Isabelle saying her name and looking at her expectantly.

'Oh sorry, what?'

Magnus snickered and sung something which sounded suspiciously like 'Jace and Clary sitting in the tree, k.i.s.s.i.n.g'.

As Clary glared at him, she almost missed what Isabelle was telling her. 'It's Simon's birthday this weekend. As usual, he doesn't want anything big, so we were just going to have dinner and drinks at mum's place. He has asked if you would like to come.'

Clary was confused for a moment- Simon asked her to go to his birthday dinner? They had only become reacquainted after years of not having seen each other- but after Magnus said 'Me and Alec will be there. I for one am looking forward to buying Simon a present,' she decided to agree to go.

'Uh, yea, ok. Sounds good. Which night is it?'

Isabelle clapped her hands with a bright smile on her face. 'It's Saturday. Jace can't make it Friday because of work and seeing as he is cooking...'

Clary grinned at Isabelle. 'Poor guy. Does he have to cook everything for you guys?'

Isabelle giggled but shook her head. 'No, not usually... Originally I was going to, but everyone seemed keen to eat out at a restaurant after that. But when I mentioned to Jace that Simon had invited you, he claimed to be in charge of cooking. So maybe we all have you to thank for Jace making dinner... He seems quite open to cooking when you are around.'

'My lovely Isabelle, you don't even know the half of what your dear brother is open to...' Magnus said airily with a smirk in Clary's direction. 'I am sure Jace will be up for anything as long as our dear Clarissa is involved.'

Clary wasn't the only one who didn't look impressed with Magnus' statement. Isabelle frowned slightly and looked out the window directly in front of her and gazed off into the distance for a few moments before turning to Clary with a worried look. 'Clary, he does seem to be quite taken to you... But, just, you know, be careful with him ok? He's my brother and everything, but he's... Well, I guess he hasn't been big on relationships lately.'

Isabelle paused and returned her gaze out to the water as though contemplating her next words. 'I don't know if anyone has told you, but he was engaged some time ago. The poor girl died soon after... But Jace was really messed up about it. Since then, well... He's never brought a girl home to introduce to us, and-' Isabelle sighed at this point and pinned Clary with an intense gaze, '-and, well, he's a single guy but he never let's things progress with girls he has potentially had some interest in. Sure he will wine and dine them when he thinks he could get serious about them, but he never keeps them long enough to get intimate. And... he's a good looking guy, so the one's he has no interest in are just disposable the next day. I know my brother so I know you are not one of the disposable ones, but I really don't want to see him hurt you. You're actually one of the few girls I like and talk to. And I don't want my jackass of a brother to ruin this.'

Clary gazed dumbly at Isabelle. Well damn!

Magnus was telling her that she would destroy Jace, and that Jace hadn't been too keen on girls since his fiancé's death, but yet Isabelle was saying that Jace would hurt her and that he basically used girls to keep him company... They both had different ideas about the kind of man that Jace was.

And technically, neither fit with Clary's own impression of him.

This thing with Jace was starting to look messy.

Clary did not know an appropriate way to respond to Isabelle's rather long monologue, but she couldn't exactly come out and openly say that she was no stranger or innocent when it came to cheaters. There was no way Isabelle could know about Sebastian, and it would be rather hard to explain that she had an intimate knowledge of men who cheated on their other half- especially since Isabelle had called in Clary's 'services' a few months ago. Explaining the whole Sebastian thing to Isabelle would give her another headache. She had already relived that part of her life enough in the past few days.

So, in typical Clary Fray fashion, she declined the option of responding to Isabelle and instead gave the worried girl a warm smile. It wasn't every day another girl looked out for her wellbeing- she only had Maia as her closest female friend. Now it seemed she had a friend in Isabelle. As startling as that was to discover.

_Cue super guilty feelings towards trying to seduce new best friend's fiancé_, Clary thought wirily to herself.

It seemed that Isabelle still had more to say after Clary's rather dismal response, and much to Clary's horror, Isabelle started talking about Sebastian. 'I'm not meaning to be a bitch or tell you to back off my brother or anything, but the boys were talking about your Sebastian last night, and I felt that you should know what Jace can be like.' Isabelle seemed to stumble through saying those words as though she was trying to apologize for her outburst. 'He hasn't stayed with a girl longer than a couple of weeks, and well, like I said, I don't want him to hurt you.'

So clearly Isabelle already knew about Sebastian. Maybe that's why she was so concerned about Clary's well being. 'Oh, the boys? Magnus, would you have anything to do with that talk last night?' As Clary said this, she turned her gaze towards her friend and pierced him with an icy glare.

Of course it was him. It had 'Magnus Bane Gossip Extraordinaire' written all over it.

Rather than looking guilty about being caught out- Clary wondered idly if she had ever seen him appropriately embarrassed- Magnus nodded his head solemnly. 'Me and Alec were discussing it last night. I didn't know that Isabelle was listening though. Alec was curious as to why you were trying to murder Sebastian with your eyes on the weekend. You're not very subtle with the death glares for a lawyer Clary.'

Clary snorted rather ungracefully but accepted Magnus' explanation. She knew that Magnus would never deny Alec something. And she herself would be curious to know what had happened between two people for one of them to be trying to 'murder' the other with their eyes. 'For your information, I am a master at the death glare. And besides, Sebastian just deserved to know exactly how much I still loathe him.'

Isabelle laughed a tinkling laugh and gave Clary a pat on the shoulder. 'I really do like you Clary. It's not often we find girls who refuse to take bullshit from guys like Sebastian.'

Clary wondered what kind of guy would try giving Isabelle bullshit. _She would probably stomp on them with her heeled boots. Or kick them down, straddle them and try castrate them with a rusty knife_, Clary thought amused. Isabelle was clearly a 'no bullshit' kind of girl.

Isabelle continued, 'But, if you and Jace do end up getting serious and he doesn't throw you away like all the other girls, I don't think he would cheat on you like Sebastian did. Jace does have a strong sense of loyalty.' Isabelle paused for a moment as though trying to decide if she should continue. Clary watched as the other girl shrugged and muttered 'What's the harm,' before looking at Clary square on and saying, 'and as much as I wouldn't want to betray my own brother, I do know a way that you can suss out if your fears are right about him anyway. But that's nothing you need to know now anyway.'

Clary's heart almost stopped cold. Was Isabelle suggesting what Clary thought she was? From opposite her, Magnus raised an eyebrow at her showing his interest in Isabelle's words. Swallowing rather thickly, Clary laughed weakly and said shakily 'Well, me and Jace still have to go on our official first date before we need to start considering that.'

Looking at Clary oddly, Isabelle searched her face but then shrugged and said, 'Yes, the pathetic excuse for a man that is my brother does need to ask you out. But first, how about we get our lunch?'

Clary smiled at Isabelle's depiction of Jace being a 'pathetic excuse for a man'. Without a doubt, Clary disagreed with that one, but she didn't want to go into too much detail about how Isabelle's brother was the epitome of a man.

A smoking hot man.

Besides, the world had changed, and women had every ability to ask a man out first. But usually the first date came before the first kiss and agreement to see each other exclusively. Jace and Clary had just done things backwards.

A waiter came to their table at the request of Isabelle who had yelled at the nearest one that she was the manager's sister, and so demanded service now. Clary didn't even bother looking at her menu, she already knew what was best and so simply asked for the Chef's special, much to the amusement of Magnus.

After the waiter had taken Isabelle's and Magnus' orders, he retreated looking rather relieved and Clary didn't blame him. Magnus had ordered a dish to be so specifically made, that it was hard to distinguish what the original order had been.

Silence descended upon the table much to Clary's amusement; silence with Magnus and Isabelle around was rare. Isabelle was tapping her bright pink fingernails against the tabletop and gazing outside, while Magnus was idly swirling his drink around with a spaced-out look on his face. Clary looked between the two for a while and then decided to break the silence- it was creeping her out. 'So Isabelle, tell me more about Simon's birthday. What are we expected to wear?'

* * *

><p>For Jace Lightwood, the days had flown by since his evening with Clary at Jocelyn's place, and he had struggled to keep the smile off his face. Seeing her here today at his restaurant looking like sex on legs, he realised two things; one, he was without a doubt a lucky guy to have the attention of a girl like her, and two, he had to make a move soon or lose her.<p>

He knew that the sort of friendship that they had started off with had involved a bet, a number scrawled on a bathroom mirror in lipstick, and a lot of text messages, so Jace knew he had to do something different to get Clary's attention again. He was tempted to go out to the table she was sat at with Magnus and do something he had not yet done and ask her out on an official date, but he figured that would be too plain and predictable. He and Clary had not agreed on a time to go out over the weekend, and as the guy in this new possible relationship, Jace felt it was his responsibility to be the one to make the first move. He was a traditionalist after all.

Jace pondered over the different ways in which he could plan a date with Clary as he chopped vegetables for his new soup. His dinner at Clary's had given him an inspiration for creating new soups, and he wanted to see where it took him. As with most restaurants, Taki's only offered the basic soups like pumpkin and minestrone, but Jace wanted to establish Taki's as a restaurant that catered for a wider range of tastes.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by loud laughter coming from behind him. Jace turned to look at three of his employee's - two apprentices and a kitchen hand- looking out of the round windows in the swing doors and talking amongst themselves. Putting his knife down, Jace turned to the sink and washed his hands clean then grabbed a sheet of paper towel and dried his hands as he approached the three men by the doors. Addressing Ben the kitchen hand, Jace asked, 'What's so funny?'

His approach was clearly unexpected and the three men turned to look at their boss with expressions of surprise and guilt. 'Um, nothing much. Just checking out that table down the back.' Jace looked in the direction gestured to by Ben but didn't see anything worthwhile besides from Clary to look at- and she couldn't be the reason for their laughter- so he turned back to his kitchen hand with a 'go on' look on his face. 'And well, there's a guy there who looks, um... Rather like a Christmas tree.' At the end of Ben's little explanation, the two apprentices started laughing again.

Jace however was not impressed nor the least bit amused, especially when one of the apprentices said, 'But that little red head is a hot little thing. She looks kind of familiar as well.'

Jace instantly knew who looked like 'a Christmas tree' and who they were talking about and became angry. 'And this is a reason for you to be slacking on your job? I don't care if the Queen of England came in, I don't want to see you standing around doing nothing when it is in the middle of the lunch rush.' Jace turned to the two new apprentices and gave them a stern warning, 'If I catch either of you two not doing anything worthwhile, I will instantly sack your asses. Understand? Customers are not a free show; if they're not here, you don't get paid. Now get back to work. Ben, stay.'

Ben had been working with Jace since Taki's had opened, but Jace had known him for longer than that. He was his dead fiancé's cousin. 'Listen man, I really don't appreciate that shit ok. The newbies I can give a pass on, but you... I don't want to have to sack you- and I don't even know if it would be legal to do so- but I'm giving you a warning alright. We don't disrespect customers that way, especially not in the middle of the lunch rush when you have a load of things to be doing. Now get back to work. I don't want to see a foot out of place for the rest of the day got it.'

Ben nodded his head and quickly walked away after being released by Jace. Running a hand through his hair, Jace glanced out the window once more to look at Clary. To his shock, Isabelle had joined Magnus and Clary at the table and it seemed that she was dominating the conversation while Clary looked to be getting paler than her usual self.

_Odd_.

Putting it aside, Jace went back to chopping his vegetables until he was distracted by one of his other chefs raising their voice. 'What the fuck? How the hell am I supposed to do that!?'

Looking up, Jace saw Dion his head chef looking rather angry and one of his waiters looking rather scared. Jace knew that Dion had a temper to reckon with, but he was an amazing chef, so Jace chose to look beyond the spats Dion would have in favour of keeping his most prized chef.

'What's happened mate?'

Dion looked to Jace with a blazing glare. 'Some asshole outside has asked for chicken parmigiana.'

Jace didn't get it. 'And...?'

'The chicken has to be exactly the size and shape of an eye fillet steak, he wants exactly one hundred slivers of Parmesan and the vegetables have to be, let me quote, 'not too crunchy, but not too soft'... Who the hell does he think he is?!'

Jace had to roll his eyes. He had a pretty good idea of who this 'he' was, but Jace wasn't interested in Magnus' meal- Dion could easily figure out Magnus' specifications- he was more interested in what Clary had ordered.

Taking the order from James the waiter who had taken the table order, Jace had to smirk. Of the two remaining orders, one was for a salad and the other was the Chef's special. He didn't think Clary was big on the whole 'making friends with salad' thing- that screamed Isabelle- so he assumed the Chef's special was for Clary.

And what a coincidence that the Chef's special today was the salmon that had been their introduction. Jace suddenly had all the inspiration he needed to ask Clary out in a very unique way.

He just hoped he would not get into trouble for it!

* * *

><p>After having spent ten minutes listening to Magnus and Isabelle discuss clothes, hairstyles and the latest hair straightener- which Magnus insisted should have been sparkly- Clary was relieved when she saw the swing doors to the kitchen open and the waiter look to their table. As the waiter approached, Clary received an instant text message on her iPhone.<p>

Knowing better than to ignore a text message on her phone- she had ignored a text message once on her phone and had regretted it after coming home to find Maia and Jordan half naked on the couch; the message had been warning her not to come home- Clary pulled her bag open and retrieved her phone.

'Enjoy'.

Clary rolled her eyes and smiled. She wondered what Jace had prepared as the Special for that day. Clearly he knew that it had been her that had ordered the Special.

However, Clary didn't reply back to the man in the kitchen.

As she returned her phone to her bag, the waiter appeared at their table and started placing dishes down by each person. Clary looked at her dish expectantly and smiled widely as she saw the same salmon dish that had inadvertently introduced them not too many weeks before. Sighing in pleasure, Clary started to pull pieces of the salmon apart and guided them to her mouth.

Magnus and Isabelle were both still bickering about something of no consequence to Clary, but rather than feel left out of the conversation, she lost herself to the view outside the window they were seated next to.

'Clary, what's that on your plate?'

Startled, Clary looked up at Isabelle. 'Huh?' after Isabelle had repeated her question, Clary looked down at her plate. 'Oh, right. It's salmon. Surely you have had salmon before?'

Isabelle rolled her eyes and scoffed, however it was Magnus who spoke first. 'Actually Clary, she is probably referring to the writing on your plate.'

Confused, Clary looked down at her plate and gasped slightly as she saw a piece of paper stuck to the bottom of her plate. Pushing aside her stacked vegetables, Clary noticed that the paper was meticulously covered by a strip of sticky tape. _Probably to protect it from the juices_, Clary thought to herself as she wiped away some of the salmon juice with her napkin.

'Oh, god he didn't!' Isabelle groaned out loud and buried her head in her arms. Magnus started laughing and whipped out his phone, probably to text Alec of Jace's latest romantic stunt.

**'Dinner, my place, Thursday.**'

While Clary would normally have been horrified to find a piece of paper sticky- taped to the bottom of a plate in a restaurant, she had to hand it to Jace that it was creative.

Suddenly, her phone beeped again signalling she had received another message. Pulling her phone out, Clary read the message and had to laugh.

'...?'

This time, she did reply back. 'I have every mind to report you for unprofessional conduct, hygiene issues and all round bad romancing.'

Smirking to herself, Clary put her phone back down and finished the rest of her dinner, being careful to avoid the piece of paper. After eating everything on her plate, Clary picked her phone back up and shot off another text message to Jace.

'I'll bring the beer.'

* * *

><p>Jace had busied himself with preparing other orders while he waited for Clary to message him back after he had text the 'Enjoy' message. Surely she would have got it, right?<p>

Jace was beginning to regret telling the boys to not ogle out of the swing door windows, as he was antsy to know why Clary had not messaged him back. It wouldn't do to scold his employee's and then do the same thing, even if he was the Boss.

He was dying to know what she thought of the meal and of his little note. Surely she would eat everything right? Jace hadn't planned for her not eating the vegetables, and he wasn't too sure of another way to ask her out in a way as unique as the note taped to her plate. In order to satisfy his curiosity, Jace sent a simple '...?' to Clary to see what her reaction was.

As Jace began to chop more vegetables to keep his mind off of Clary, his phone beeped in his back pocket.

Grinning widely as he saw it was from Clary, he opened it expecting a gushing 'Yes, of course, I'd love to' from her.

Instead, he got a text message telling him he was in the shit. Jace mentally smacked himself in the head. He should have known that Clary didn't 'gush'.

'Crap,' Jace muttered to himself. Not sure of what to respond, Jace left his phone on the bench next to him and continued cutting, his mind whirling with his next plan of attack.

After cutting through enough vegetables to last two days, Jace jumped and sliced himself on the knife when his phone went off again. Ignoring the blood beginning to seep out of his finger, Jace opened the message and smiled widely as he read she would bring beer.

_God help him if this girl wasn't perfect.  
><em>

* * *

><p>So... I can't promise a time for a new update- last year of University and everything- but I can promise the next chapter will be interesting. Things will start to conclude soon, so the apex of climax of the story will be soon!<p>

Until next time, I thank you for your patience!

P.S. who else is excited that filming of MI has started? Reckon we can beat the Hunger Games in popularity?


	18. Chapter 17

**So, been a while since I have worked on this.**  
><strong>On the plus side, I am the proud owner of two university degrees and hopefully some job offers next year.<strong>  
><strong>Here is a new update :)<strong>

**Disclaimer: all characters associated with The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassie Clare.**

* * *

><p>It was Wednesday night and Clary was having a drink at The Hunter's Moon. As per usual, she was sitting alone in a darkend corner of the room drinking a vodka orange watching and listening to the room around her. Groups of drunken men were laughing, gaggles of women dressed in barely anything were grinding away on the dance floor and loud thumping music- controlled by a DJ with dreadlocks- caused everything to vibrate. For a Wednesday night it was very busy, but the bar often had student nights which offered discounted drinks and enough young half naked women to lure the older men away from sitting in front of their televisions.<p>

Clary felt epically overdressed in her work clothes, but she figured that after taking her suit jacket off, the tight skirt, red blouse and nude heels helped her fit in a bit more. In this room somewhere, the fiancé of her newest client was probably drinking beer and laughing with his friends, but for once, Clary couldn't find it in herself to get up and get the job done; she was thinking about Jace.

Again.

Ever since he had invited her around for dinner at his house- something that Jace just didn't do, according to Isabelle- Clary had been struggling over what she should do about him. She was no where near in love with him, but she respected him and she genuinely liked him as a guy, but she was afraid to delve deeper into her feelings for something more than 'like'. And that was where her dilemma lay. She could claim Jace as a friend, and keep going on with her life-this secretive part of it especially- not feeling guilty about betraying him, or she could really consider giving him a go and giving up this particular part of her life.

Really, what was she gaining from this? She already knew what men could be like, and she had- in her opinion- helped many women realise what scumbags the men they were about to marry were. She had had to find out the hard way, and that had taught her to be strong; maybe she wasn't really doing these women any favors in sending them one text telling them that the men they loved were cheating asses. You could learn and grow stronger from things like finding out the man you loved had a tendency to favour someone other than just you.

Clary pondered this new chain of thinking. She had never met a guy since Sebastian that she had ever truly thought she would spend the rest of her life with, but maybe with Jace she could see herself being his friend and then something more.

Maybe.

Which led to her current predicament involving her little side job. She was far from a prostitute- she never slept with the men after all- but sometimes when they kissed her or groped her, she didn't rebuff their attempts. She went along with their clumsy attempts at getting her to go home with them, but she would always right at the end slip away never to see the men again or know the eventual outcome. Hopefully they all ended up on their asses outside the door.

But to allow another man to kiss her while she was in the early stages of 'maybe' dating Jace... Catching potential cheaters was different if you were being the cheater as well.

Clary remembered the drive back home on Saturday and how she had felt unsettled and unsure of herself. Sure they had kissed, and maybe somewhere in there, there might have been a declaration of some sort, but Clary just could not be definite of his intentions.

They had shared a few kisses and he had invited her around for dinner, but that was all that had happened to make it seem like she shouldn't be here tonight doing another job; a couple of kisses and an official dinner date. Not exactly 'we are official' material in Clary's eyes.

Sighing heavily, Clary sucked up some of the liquid in her glass and read the description on her phone from the latest client. She still marveled at how fast word of mouth had travelled, and while she knew there were some people who thought she was some sort of home wrecker, Clary didn't waste her energy caring about those opinions because she knew what she was, and she accepted it. But in her mind, she was helping out other women in relationships by giving them the chance to test the faithfulness of their husband's to be.

So sue her if she was a home wrecker. Clary solely believed that women put too much trust in the men in their lives- she had been one of them, so she knew- so giving them the opportunity for an objective third party to test this faithfulness was an idea that Clary prided herself on thinking of.

"Waiting for your boyfriend gorgeous?"

Clary was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a voice coming from behind her. Turning in her seat slowly, Clary arched an eyebrow up at the man standing in front of her.

Well, damn.

It seemed like she had found her man- or rather, he had found her. The description in the text message fit the man right down to the picture of the half naked girl on a bike across the front of his blue shirt. That rarely happened, and it was a strike against him already. But at least Clary didn't have to go through the painful process of starting up a conversation with him amongst his friends. That was always a tedious task.

Keeping eye contact with the man, Clary smiled and shook her head. "No, actually I am drinking alone tonight. Bad day, so you know, just drinking my sorrows away." She allowed herself a grimace; it had been a trying day for her after all, so she wasn't exactly lying.

The man smirked at her and moved in closer. "Well how about you come join me and my mates and we shall see if we can make your night better?"

Clary mentally gagged- his breath smelt horrible- but maintained her cool composure and laughed lightly. "Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude. I mean, I am pretty depressing company I admit."

The guy shrugged his shoulders and moved to sit down in the vacant seat next to hers. "I'm sure we could easily fix that. Maybe get a couple more drinks into you, and you should be having a great time."

Clary smiled at the man in front of her as she stood up. Time to play her part. "Well, if you say so, how could I possibly refuse?"

"Axel." The hand stuck out in front of her face was long and thin with very little muscle to speak ok. Clary took it and smiled, but didn't offer her name. She never did, and when she was required to, the alias 'Jo'-short for Jocelyn- was what she used.

As the man gripped her hand and led her towards a rather large group of men, Clary swore to herself this was the last time she was going to do this. It just wasn't worth it anymore.

* * *

><p>"Alec, better watch out for drunk girls tonight. Don't want the new shirt that Magnus gave you to get ruined."<p>

Alec glared at Simon while the two boys walking next to him laughed. "That was not funny."

"Ah lighten up man. Tonight is the first time we've been able to drag you from your purple sparkly boyfriend, so you are not going to mope and complain all night."

Alec punched Jace in the shoulder. "Yeah yeah, I know. Boys night and everything. Can we at least be home by midnight? I want to see him off to the airport in the morning."

Jace halted his steps and put a hand to his heart. Turning to Simon he looked at his soon to be brother-in-law and pleaded with wide eyes, "Simon, please don't turn into such a sap when you marry my sister." Letting his hand fall away from his body he grinned, shook his head at the expression on Alec's face at being called a 'sap' and then continued walking.

It was Alec who remarked after sometime of silent walking, "Actually the chances of Simon being at Isabelle's beck and call are pretty high."

Now it was Simon's turn to punch Alec on the arm before smirking and saying, "Says the one who used to carry Isabelle's handbag around for her because she complained her arms were tired."

Jace put his hands to his face and shook his head from side to side. "No more, I won't listen to how a girl has both your balls in her grip!"

Alec and Simon smirked as they high fived each other. Alec had told the story of how Jace would always follow Isabelle around when he had first came to live with them and would play dolls with her when she demanded it, many times before. As much as Jace may hate to admit it, he too had his balls in Isabelle's grip. Despite this, they both knew that Jace was fiercely protective of Isabelle regardless of how much the thought of her having the ability to make them look less masculine horrified him.

Simon was rather keen to never upset his soon to be wife; Jace could be a force to be reckoned with when it came to Isabelle.

The boys were out that night heading to The Hunter's Moon for a boys night out. Isabelle was at a girlfriend's house for the evening and Magnus was packing for a business trip and insisted he needed at least five hours to get everything, so the three boys had decided that they would spend the evening at their usual haunt and have a few beers. "So what's the go with you and Clary tomorrow night Jace?" Simon asked as they reached the pub's entry.

Jace shrugged and fished out his I.D to show the bouncer. After being waved through and receiving the stamp to his wrist- a picture of a wolf howling to the moon- Jace replied, "Not sure actually. I told her to come for dinner, so I suppose I'll have to make something for that."

Alec rolled his eyes and Simon smirked. "You know exactly what you are making, don't try fool us."

Jace grinned sheepishly but didn't reply, instead choosing to lead them through the packed dance floor towards the bar. The lights were dim, the music was loud and the crush of bodies was suffocating. Jace was glad when he escaped from the bump and grind of the people who chose to make a dance floor of the walking path, and nodded his head in acknowledgement when Alec and Simon indicated they would grab a free table at the considerably less crowded part of the pub in the back corner. As he made his way towards the bar, Jace noticed a flash of red hair whirling past him in the corner of his eye. He wondered what Clary was doing; he would have invited her, but Alec didn't seem to like her, and he figured a night with the boys was long over due. He was going to see her tomorrow anyway, and like Simon had said, he knew exactly what he was doing.

He was Jace Lightwood after all. Even if he was a bit on the rusty side.

Ten minutes later, Jace was joining Simon and Alec at a little table in the back corner of the bar. It was dark- the only light came from some red tinted lights set high in the roof- and the music was more of a throbbing than the heavy heart pounding sound it was toward the front of the club. Jace raised his glass in salute to the other two men and then took a long pull, relishing the coolness in his throat.

The dance floor was tightly packed with writhing bodies and the blue, red and green strobe lights were giving a hypnotizing effect to the sweat glistening people who were out for a night of fun. Jace had grown up preferring to play instruments than dancing to them, and like Alec, wouldn't be caught dead dancing on a dance floor unless he really had to. Magnus had often tried to drag him and Alec onto dance floors in the past, and Jace had always thought that while he was an ok dancer, Alec made side to side shuffling and swinging of the hands look horribly awkward. The contrast between Magnus, in all his glitter and colorful glory, and Alec in his staple grey and black jumpers was shocking really. It often made Jace marvel at the way in which opposites really could attract so much.

Remembering a time when Magnus had gleefully grabbed Alec's hips and had tried to get him to do a hip swing- which had resulted in Alec falling over- Jace chuckled and looked over to where Alec was eyeing the dance floor distastefully. "Reminiscing Alec?" Jace asked, chortling.

Alec shot Jace a foul look and then took a long pull on his drink while Simon shook his head and grinned. "Actually, I'm surprised you're not reminiscing about that time those women on the hens night decided to attack you because they thought you were the stripper Jace."

"My dear Simon, I always think of that. That night is the perfect example of the fact that my body covered up is too great for the female population to bear... My body uncovered makes them swoon."

Simon snorted and Alec started coughing after choking on his drink.

"Yea, I'm pretty sure that night ended with you out on your butt on the street after the bouncers kicked you out for taking your clothes off."

Jace put on a look of pure outrage at Simon's words. "Never! I was the victim of sexual harassment. The bouncers were just jealous that I had women tearing my clothes left right and centre."

"Jace you encouraged them. I'd have thought the fact that they were throwing money at you as you wiggled your ass at them would have given the bouncers a good enough reason to remove you from the premises."

"They were jealous." Jade said firmly.

Alec and Simon shook their heads but grinned. That had been a good night for Jace; it was about a year and a half after the death of his fiancé and he had been trying to show a strong face for his family for too long. Isabelle had dragged them all out one night saying Jace needed to stop moping around the house and go out and meet new women. And new women had he met; Isabelle knew there was a hens night at the bar that night and so Jace- being the single and attractive young man that he was- was instantly fawned over by numerous single women. To the point where he started losing clothes because Isabelle not so subtly whispered to an exuberant girl that he was their stripper for the night. It had taken Jace by surprise to have the ten or so women around him start screaming and reaching into their purses for money.

Jace turned his expression back to the dance floor and watched as a woman in a red blouse was having her bum squeezed by a tall guy on the dance floor. Her red hair made him think again of Clary. He doubted it was love- he hadn't felt that way in a long time, but he could possibly get there if the two of them started to see more of each other.

Alec and Simon began a conversation about Simon's work, and Jace listened half heartedly, putting in his comment every now and then, but thinking mainly about Clary. He hadn't felt so nervous in many years when over the weekend they had kissed, and for that alone, he felt like he was a teenager with his first crush all over again. Jace was jolted out of his thoughts by Simon and Alec roaring with laughter, and Jace realised that without knowing it, he had been unconsciously watching the woman with the red hair on the dance floor. Jace shook his head- the red hair was a serious trigger for him it seemed- and tried to pick up what Alec and Simon were talking about.

Upon discovering the conversation revolved around Magnus' and Isabelle's shopping habits, Jace quickly tuned out and resumed his beer drinking while looking around the bar. It was very busy for a Wednesday night, but given the student discounts, Jace wasn't surprised it was so packed. His attention was drawn back to the dance floor at the sight of the red hair again- really, was he going to whip his head around at every sight of red hair?- and received a huge shock when the woman was quickly spun. He swore it was Clary! The woman's face was partially covered by the hair that had come lose from being spun so quickly, but Jace was sure it was Clary.

Alec noticed Jace's sudden move and exclamation, and looked where he was looking. He noticed lots of people dancing, but nothing extraordinary. "Jace, what's the matter man?"

Jace tore his eyes off the dance floor and turned to see Simon and Alec looking at him expectantly. "I think I just saw Clary."

Alec rolled his eyes and muttered, "Well keep her away from me. I like this shirt."

Simon stood and peered intently into the mass of bodies on the dance floor but couldn't see anyone that looked like Clary. "Maybe you are thinking too hard about her mate? I can't see her."

"Simon, your eyesight is worse than Isabelle's cooking. I'm not relying on your judgement. I'll be back soon; if she is here I want to say hello." Alec groaned and shrank back into his chair while Simon just shrugged and told Jace they would still be there when he got back. Standing, Jace took another swig of his beer and then made his way towards the large wall of moving people.

* * *

><p>Clary's heart faltered for a moment and then kick started itself like a jackhammer chewing it's way through concrete. He couldn't be here, not tonight! Her arm was still in Axel's grip, and he was still pressing his body into hers from the behind, but Jace was getting closer to her spot on the dance floor and Clary knew she needed to get away now.<p>

Putting into action one of the lessons her sensei had taught her about escaping an attack from behind, Clary lifted her sharp stiletto clad foot and slammed it down as hard as she could onto the large foot next to her own. Before he had time to properly react to this new pain, Clary twisted out of his now loosened grip- and ignoring the hands that tried to swipe at her- she started to make her way in the opposite direction to Jace, squeezing her way through the crushing bodies.

She was never more glad for her tiny stature than when it came to escaping in crowded places. She didn't have much strength to push people apart, but she could bend over and squirm her way through the throngs of bodies. She had even once got down on her hands and feet and crawled through people, but she had never done that one again after having her hand stood on by a girl wearing heels and having one rather enthusiastic dancing guy hit her in the head when she had jerked backwards in pain. That had been when she was 16 and at a popular band's concert, and she had never had the urge to do it again!

After much pushing and shoving, Clary made it out of the throng of people and slowly, so as to not catch any unwanted attention, she made her way through the bodies milling around chatting and slipped towards the exit. She breathed in a much welcomed breath of fresh air once she had nodded her head in farewell to the bouncer and started off down the street towards Magnus' house. Sometimes having a friend who lived in the hustle and bustle of the city came in use when you needed a place to crash the night. And a key to said friend's place.

As Clary turned the corner, she heard running footsteps making their way towards her. Chancing a look behind her in curiosity, Clary groaned out loud when she realised Axel had somehow managed to follow her out of the throng of people and out onto the street. She wasn't in her element here, and for that Clary suddenly became very nervous.

"Hey, wait!"

Clary rolled her eyes in exasperation but stopped. Seriously, wait? Like she could even outrun him in the first place. She was wearing heels and a skirt that didn't like to stretch for goodness sake! Clary casually leant against the concrete wall behind her and lifted her right leg up and tucked it up under her against the wall. It was in a good position to knee Axel in the groin if she needed to. She watched with a smile on her face as the man she had just escaped came closer.

"Hey Axel. What's up?"

Axel looked at her strangely, then shrugged. "You just left without saying goodbye. Just checking you were ok. You seemed pretty keen to get away from me."

Clary had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Yes, she was more than keen to get away from him. Jace had almost seen her intimately pressed up against another man who was holding her possessively. Somehow Clary didnt think that would have given him a good impression for tomorrow night.

And she had just decided to give him a go as well.

"I'm fine, really. Just needed some air. It got a bit too stuffy for me in there." Clary shrugged and made a show of looking at her watch. "But anyway, I'm going to head home now ok. It was nice meeting you." As she was saying this, Clary stood up right and tried to side step the man who didn't know the meaning of 'faithful'.

As she side stepped him and turned her back to him as she made to walk down the street, Axel grabbed her by her shoulder and spun her so her back was once again to the wall. "I think I deserve a goodnight kiss. Don't you Sugar?" Whoa, this guy's mood change was going to give her whip lash.

The air blowing from this man's mouth was still just as terrible as it had been at the beginning of the night, and Clary really didn't want it anywhere near her own mouth. Playing coy, Clary smiled up at Axel and said, "Well why don't you give me your number, and we can maybe go out for dinner sometime?"

"I can go one better; how about you take me back to your place and then we can go out to dinner tomorrow." It didn't seem like a question to Clary; it was more like a demand, what with the way he was leering at her and holding her against the wall.

_Ugh_, Clary thought. _Creep. Who would even want to marry this?_

Sighing deeply, Clary continued with her facade, but she would be damned if her client was going to marry this man. "Really, I couldn't. It's a school night and everything, you know. Plus I have a housemate who doesn't like strangers."

"Well, in that case, here is as good as any place." Axel lowered his head and started nuzzling and licking her neck. Clary supposed that was better than him kissing her, but she wasn't going to take any of his shit.

She opened her mouth to tell him to back off, but ended up gasping instead when he bit her neck a bit too hard. Feeling more than just pissed off now, Clary slithered her hands up between their bodies and pushed him away. Things had gone far enough in her opinion, and she refused to let the man hurt her.

"Oh playing hard to get Sugar? Don't worry, you already have me babe."

Clary snorted and shook her head as she once again deployed her martial arts training, this time twisting the arms that had been holding her by the shoulders out and away from her body. Ignoring his sudden gasp of pain, Clary applied some pressure to her movements which caused him to step away from her even more to avoid the pain.

Clary kept her voice light, but her eyes betrayed her anger as she spoke her next words, "Well, while this has been fun, I do have to go. Like I said, school night and all, you know. Plus I wish you all the luck in the world with your marriage." Clary grinned at the man's flabbergasted expression, and after adding a swift blow to his groin, she started to make her way back down the street. She stopped after about fifteen steps and called back, "Assuming you survive the night first."

This was definitely the last time she was taking on another case.

If Clary had have turned around and looked down the opposite side of the street, she would have seen something that would have turned her blood cold, but as it was, she was feeling immensely impressed with herself for having escaped that incident relatively unscathed. She'd faced worse after all. It was without a single shred of remorse that she sent off a text message with the sole intention of ruining one young woman's future dreams.

But at least the stranger's heart was being saved for the long term in the process.

* * *

><p>Jace had lost sight of the woman that looked like Clary when he had been speaking with Simon and Alec, but he was sure he could find her; red hair was difficult to miss. He trawled the dance floor for five minutes trying to find the woman in the red blouse, but couldn't see anyone with the same red hair. Eventually he gave up and made his way back to Alec and Simon who had finished their beers and were looking ready to leave. Jace drank the remaining dregs of his beer and after a quick toilet stop, the three men made their way towards the exit.<p>

"What time is Magnus' flight Alec?" Simon asked as they stepped outside and began heading towards Magnus' place to drop Alec off.

"His plane leaves at 8."

Simon nodded and the conversation died.

Jace had an early start the next morning himself, as he had a big lunch reservation that needed catering for. Normally he would stay back late and work on Thursday nights, but he had swapped shifts with one of the other chefs so that he could be home for Clary.

As the high spirited men made their way down the street, Jace noticed a man and a woman standing close together on the opposite side of the road. The thing that sparked Jace's interest in the otherwise occupied couple was the street light reflection on the woman's hair. The rest of her body was blocked by the man standing in front of her, but what amount of hair Jace could see, he could tell that it was red. Feeling disappointed that it wasn't Clary he had been trying to find earlier, Jace lost interest. He knew it couldn't have been Clary because she clearly didn't have a boyfriend based on their interactions together, and Jace believed she wasn't the type to pick up men in bars and have shady hook ups on the side walk.

Simon and Alec were talking quietly next to him as they walked, and Jace was about to shift his attention to them when he saw the man stumble backwards and the small figure of the woman try to step around him.

The feeling in Jace's stomach was akin to that of a knife twisting.

The woman he had been actively pursuing just ten minutes ago was indeed Clary.

And she was in the arms of another man.

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><p><strong>Oops... Yes, I just did that.<strong>  
><strong>She was always going to get found out... I warned you chapters ago :p<strong>

**So, it has been ages since this story was updated. I predict 2-3 more chapters until finished... **

**Thoughts on Jace's discovery?**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello lovelies!**  
><strong>Finally, this has arrived! I think this is likely to be the last chapter! It is super long (like 9,500 words, but I figured you all deserved it. )<strong>

**Questions will be answered! A huge thanks to my reviewers, favourites and alerters. A shout out to TopOfTheRock for being amazing and giving me feedback when I got stuck! (This has taken me ages to get to the point that I was happy with it!)**

**Disclaimer: all Cassie Clare's. Sadly, I don't own Jace. Or Will. Or Jem. And Magnus is not my best friend either.**

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><p>Jace watched Clary with a sort of out of body detachment. The way she gracefully sidestepped the man she was with, and then the way she was bodily thrown back against the wall. He knew he should be doing something; he wasn't the sort of man who watched a woman get beaten, but Jace was reluctant to do anything. It appeared to him as though Clary knew the man she was with, and to him it looked like they were playing a game. He knew Clary could be a tease when she wanted to be, and it merely looked like she was flirting with the other man.<p>

_A bizarre mating ritual maybe_, Jace thought.

Sure, they weren't official or anything, but seeing her with someone else made his gut clench in jealousy.

Jace watched as Clary smiled up at the man she was with and shake her head while talking to him. His hands tightened into fists when the other man's head descended down to her neck and Jace felt like he was going to be sick. This was not the Clary that he thought he knew. He heard a loud exclamation come from her mouth and from his spot across the road, the brief look of pain crossing her face was easily illuminated by the overhead lights.

_Screw it, _he thought. _Even if she is seeing this guy as well, no one gets away with hurting Clary, wanted affection or not_. Jace started to make his way across the road towards her intent on getting her away from the other man.

He was stopped short however before his feet even made it onto the tar paved road as Clary seemed to be handling the situation just fine. Jace watched as the man was suddenly pushed backwards and with strength belying her small body size, the girl somehow managed to twist the offending man's arms out and away from her body.

Jace saw her mouth move as she muttered something that looked less than friendly and then he winced as she dealt a swift blow to the other man's groin. Jace had once been on the receiving end of one of those from her, so he knew that she was pissed off.

_Clearly this man was no friend of hers._

With an amused chuckle, Jace watched as the fiery red head deftly side stepped the bent over man and gracefully walked away. Simon and Alec who had finally noticed that he was no longer with them had stopped further up the path and were waiting for him with looks of curiosity on their faces. They certainly had not paid much attention to the events that were happening across the road. As Jace scrutinized the man who was still bent over clutching his groin- he had every intention to go over and give the man some choice words- Clary had turned back around and was saying something.

For one wild moment Jace thought she was going back to him to apologize, and from what he could gather from her words that floated on the wind, "...you...the night..." he accepted that while she was pissed off, she was not going home alone.

With a frown and a wave of shame for falling for the girl's charms so easily, Jace made his way towards Alec and Simon, all the excitement for the following evening evaporated. For the first time in many years he had finally found a girl worth pursuing, and she turned out to be the embodiment of the women he despised.

Fickle and shallow.

Jace didn't look back after he had caught up with Alec and Simon. He didn't see Clary walking away, he didn't see the battered man slump to the ground with a groan, nor see him receive a phone call from a screaming woman hysterically yelling about cheaters and break ups.

Jace had struggled to walk through life with a purpose since the death of his fiancé, but for once he was walking purposefully away from any thoughts of Clary and him.

* * *

><p>"Just talk to her Jace. I mean, you two aren't even a thing, so you can't hold it against her if she is still seeing other guys."<p>

Jace sent a withering glare at Simon but did not saying anything in return. Alec had been rather quiet during the walk to Magnus' place but Simon had made his opinion on what Jace should do clear as soon as Jace had finished telling the story of what they had missed. "I can't just walk up to her and say "Hey Clary. So I know we have just been hanging out and stuff, but I really thought we had something. You, the sexy young lawyer and me, the good looking rich chef". Yeah, not going to work Simon."

"While I'm glad you have your witty retorts still available to you, I think you're over reacting. She did kick him in the family jewels after all."

"Actually, didn't she kick Jace there as well once, and she still went out to dinner with him after."

Both Simon and Jace looked at Alec; Simon with a thoughtful expression and Jace with a look of disgust. "How did you know she did that to me?"

Alec shrugged. "Magnus."

Jace rolled his eyes and muttered "figures" under his breath. The rest of the walk to Magnus' was in silence, and Jace was relieved to have the time to think about what tonight's events meant to him. After five more minutes of silent walking, they finally reached Magnus' building.

Alec eagerly rang the intercom box leading to Magnus' apartment and he let out a breathy "It's me Alec" in answer to Magnus' inquiry as to who was wanting his 'Magnificent self'. Simon and Jace cleared their throats in discomfort at Alec's behaviour. He had always been the shy quiet kid who rarely displayed emotion, and now that he and Magnus were back together, the happiness and love radiating off him was awkward for other people in his presence.

Magnus buzzed them upstairs and greeted them at the door dressed in an orange dressing gown. Magnus and Alec shared a brief kiss while Jace and Simon stood behind them awkwardly staring at their feet, but upon breaking away Magnus commented on Jace's dejected expression. "Who ran over your cat Blondie?"

Startled- he hadn't realised he was being that obvious- Jace merely waved a hand in the air indicating the subject be dropped. Alec on the other hand- after taking Magnus' hand and drawing him closer- began to rattle off the night's events. Obviously realizing it was a long story, Magnus indicated for Alec to pause his story while all three men stepped inside his apartment and at Magnus' insistence, 'make themselves at home'. Clothes were strewn haphazardly around the place; Magnus was an enthusiastic packer it seemed, and an even more adventurous shopper. Jace went to sweep off a thick fur coat that was lying on the couch but was stopped short when his hand whacked against the solid feeling of a body. A noise was emitted by the coat and upon closer inspection, Jace realised he had been just about to brush a very fat cat off of the couch. The animal seemed to realise that this was his intention judging by the glare the animal sent him for being disturbed.

Sticking his tongue out at the lazy animal, Jace watched as it tried to raise itself upon its legs three times before it gave up and slumped back into the cushions. Feeling that he needed the seat more than the cat, Jace scooped the animal up in his arms and unceremoniously dropped it off the side of the couch. Much to Jace's amusement, the cat simply sunk down onto the floor with a soft thwump, once again resembling a fur coat. Clearly it had no intentions of doing any sort of physical exercise.

After they were all comfortable, Magnus requested Alec continue the story with a "Right now, when does Jace's cat get run over?" Jace rolled his eyes but did not interrupt Alec's story time.

After Alec had finished the story there was silence while Jace, Simon and Alec looked at Magnus, who was in return staring at Jace with pity. "You saw her tonight in action then."

"Huh?"

Magnus sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. For the first time, Jace realised he was looking at his brother's boyfriend completely bare of makeup or glitter. "Look, it's not my story to tell alright. But Clary..." Magnus sighed and leant back into the seat cushion before continuing. "Clary has some issues she needs to sort out. I don't know if she has told you the full story of what happened between her and Sebastian, but that messed her up a lot. She does some things these days that I don't approve of, but she has her reasons for them. It's something you're going to have to talk to her about alone Jace."

Jace raised an eyebrow; Sebastian again? What did that man mean to her? Sure he knew that the other guy was her ex and that they were once engaged, but other than that Jace knew very little of him. Jace could quite confidently say that he didn't like Sebastian, and the brief conversation the two of them had had at the art gallery only cemented his lack of affection. Sebastian had seemed cocky, and his words about Clary did not impress him in the least.

_Even if they may have held some sort of truth_, a snide voice whispered in the back of his mind.

"I've known her for many years Jace, and I can tell you that she genuinely does care for you. She told me that you two were having dinner at your place tomorrow. Do yourself a favour; before you judge her, talk to her."

Jace nodded his head in understanding. They were adults now, not reckless teenagers jumping to conclusions based on too little information, so talking about what he had seen was certainly the wisest decision. It was those three words however "...you...the night" that swam around in his head that made him question the validity of talking to Clary about what he had seen. She was an adult, so if she wanted to see other men besides from just him, he couldn't stop her unless they were both willing to go exclusive.

Simon suddenly gave a loud yawn startling Jace out of his thoughts. He wondered what time it was and a quick glance at the clock indicated it was past midnight. Magnus gave a clap of his hands and said, "While I do have an amazing track record with giving relationship advice to confused young men, this conversation has now lost my interest. Unless you didn't already know, I have a flight to catch early in the morning, and I would rather like to go to bed with something other than my best friend's destructive behaviour on my mind." Magnus stood at these words and walked towards the door. "Alec, you can stay. Blondie and Simon, goodnight."

* * *

><p>The day after the nightclub mishap Clary could be found at her desk working on a court brief. Maryse was expecting the document on her desk by the end of the day but Clary was getting very little done. Thoughts of Jace and the dinner were occupying her mind, and she wasn't sure how she was going to deal with either. Last night had been a big eye opener of just how stupid she could be, and she was still kicking herself for almost jeopardizing her tentative relationship with Jace.<p>

Maryse had smiled at her the moment she had walked through the office doors two hours earlier and had asked her if she was excited for her dinner with Jace. Clary had given a weak smile and had nodded her head and then fled to the sanctuary of her office. At the age of 26, she was still acting like a teenager in the face of conflict and quite frankly, it was pathetic of her. She stood up in court and argued with Judges for goodness sake, yet talking to the mother of a guy she kind-of-maybe liked scared her senseless. Even if said woman was her boss.

Maia had been giving her glances all morning through the clear glass of her office, but much to Clary's relief, she hadn't approached and asked what was wrong. Maia had been awake watching a movie with Jordan when Clary had walked in and both had looked up in surprise when she had slammed the front door and then slumped against it in relief. Clary hadn't given any explanation and they hadn't asked how her night had been.

Her face said it all, and Maia knew her well enough not to press for information- even when she had a sharp looking bite mark on her neck. Clary had cursed that asshat to hell and back when she had seen the mark on her neck reflected from a shop window. She knew it would be difficult to cover- not just from Jace, but also from Maryse and her clients.

As a result, she had chosen to wear a black fitted dress to work with a green cotton scarf worn around her neck to hide the ugly mark. She was dressy enough for work, and her outfit was suitable for dinner with Jace, so she planned on going straight to Jace's house after she had finished for the day. She was feeling quite nervous about her dinner with him, and she was wondering how he would react to the topic of exclusivity. She wanted to get to know him more as she genuinely liked him, but she wasn't sure how he felt about her.

He had given signals indicating his interest in her physically, but whether he wanted to get into a relationship with her was something she was unsure of. He had said he was interested in taking her out after she had admitted to wanting to see him again soon, but the dating topic had been left untouched the night they had kissed under the light of the moon in her old bedroom.

Clary let out a huff of frustration and pushed her chair away from her desk. She needed coffee, but she was still trying to avoid talking to Maia. Knowing that she needed to suck it up, Clary swiftly walked out of her office and headed towards the tea room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Maia on the phone and Clary hoped that the girl would be distracted long enough not to grill her for information.

Maryse was in the tea room stirring some sugar into her coffee when Clary walked in. She gave the older woman a smile when she saw her, but she didn't say anything. It was Maryse who talked first and Clary wished she had a secretary to make drinks for her upon hearing Maryse's words, "Are you feeling alright Clary? You look rather pale today."

Clary gave a light hearted chuckle- she was always pale wasn't she?- but responded, "I'm fine thank you Maryse. Just feeling the pressure of Tom Freestone's case. It's starting to do my head in!"

_Liar_, a voice in Clary's mind hissed, but she ignored it. She couldn't exactly tell Maryse that she was worked up over thoughts of Jace and his view of their friendship. Or relationship. Or whatever they were while suspended in limbo between friends who kiss and friends who date.

Maryse gave her a warm smile as she leant back against the bench sipping her drink. She had absolutely no idea of Clary's inner turmoil. "I know you can do it Clary. It's definitely one of the more complex ones you have had to do, but you are ready for it."

Clary looked up in surprise from stirring her own cup of boiling water and grounded coffee. Both Clary and Maia knew that Maryse had confidence in them, but to hear it out loud was certainly something new.

Maryse laughed at Clary's expression and said, "Trust me Clary, you will do fine. If I have any issues, you know I will come talk to you about them." Clary nodded her head as she watched Maryse walk out the room. Taking a deep breath, Clary picked up her coffee mug and made her way back to her office determined to finish the task Maryse had entrusted to her.

She had just reached the door and had stretched her arm out to open it, when it was pulled back unexpectedly. Letting out a small gasp of surprise, Clary had to suppress a groan as she saw Maia standing on the other side looking grim. She stepped back as the taller girl walked in and shut the door behind her, leaning against it with her arms folded. "Right, spill. Whose ass do I have to kick?"

All the pent up fear of speaking to Maia suddenly dissolved and Clary felt a bubble of hysteria swim through her. This was Maia! What had she been afraid of in the first place?! "It's cool. Just a little misunderstanding. Don't worry, I dealt with him."

Maia snorted and shook her head. "Clary, giving him your number and then never answering his calls is not dealing with him," Clary had to smile at this. Maia had no idea of what she was capable of, and her apparent innocence to other people amused her. "Some guys can turn into freaky stalkers you know. Hell, you even had to profile them at college! It's not safe for you to go out by yourself Clary. That mark on your neck is proof enough."

Clary raised her eyebrows in interest. "How do you know I didn't go back to his place? The mark certainly suggests that." Unconsciously, her hand rose to finger the bruising mark on her neck. It hurt slightly at pressure but it was not too uncomfortable.

Maia shook her head again and looked at Clary sternly. "Clary, when was the last time you stayed at a guy's place overnight?" Clary didn't respond. "Yeah see, I knew it wasn't from something consensual."

Clary shrugged her shoulders again and took a sip of her coffee. The scalding heat helped her keep her head. "Like I said, I dealt with him. He won't be bugging me again, so it's cool."

"Cool my ass," Maia muttered to herself under her breath before gazing intently at Clary. "So, dinner tonight with Blondie?"

With a smirk at the name they both used for Jace, Clary nodded. "Yeah, I won't be home for dinner. I'm thinking about talking to him about going exclusive, but I don't know how he will take it."

Maia's mouth dropped open slightly at her words, but the girl quickly recovered. "Uh, wow. That's cool Clary. Kind of a big step for you, but I'm happy for you."

With a smile at her best friend Clary nodded her head. "Yea, I know right! But he's a good guy, and I'm interested in him, so I might as well take a chance." With a sudden thought and a cheeky glint in her eye, she continued, "If not, then I can just make him realise what he is missing at Isabelle's wedding. I'm sure his cousin Jonathon will be more than willing to help..."

Both girls looked at each other at those words and simultaneously shuddered before bursting into laughter. Clary felt a happy little glow go through her after her talk with Maia, and for the rest of the afternoon, she tapped away at her computer focussed on finishing the job. Maia's and Maryse's words had given her clarity of what was important, and thoughts of Jace did not intrude into her mind again.

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><p>At 5.56pm that afternoon, Clary finally switched her computer off and stood with a groan as she stretched her stiff muscles. She had sat at her desk all day- even eating at her desk for lunch- so she could get the documents she needed to finish done. She was happy with the end result and hoped that Maryse felt the same. Maia had left the office an hour ago, and Maryse had followed shortly after, so it was just her and Robert left. Robert was on the phone in his office when Clary walked past, and with a quick wave to him, she was off. From the directions that Jace had given her, his apartment was within walking distance, so she chose to walk rather than catch a cab.<p>

Walking would give her time to think about how she wanted to approach the night, and it helped settle her nerves. She was taking a big step- the biggest step since Sebastian-, so she felt that the extra time to get to Jace's would help cool her nerves off. She was early by at least half an hour in any case, so a stroll through the city had more than just the advantage of giving her time to think.

It took her twenty minutes of light walking to reach Jace's apartment building and less than thirty seconds for her to reach his floor using the elevator. She knocked lightly on number 4 and smoothed her hands over her dress while she waited for him to answer. Her hands were feeling clammy and her heart rate was faster than normal, but other than that she felt confident about seeing him.

A voice called from the other end of the door that it was open, so with very little hesitation, Clary twisted the door handle and opened the door. At first glance, Jace's apartment was very bachelor pad style. As she walked in, she noticed very basic furniture and white walls with very few personal possessions being on display. One wall of the apartment was made up purely of glass and it looked over the eastern parts of the city. The sun was setting in the opposite direction so her view was unobstructed by the glare of a setting sun.

Noises to her left pulled her out of her gawking at the city, and Clary almost moaned in pleasure as the smell of food wafted her way. Jace was bent over a pan on a stove with a wooden spoon in one hand and a beer in the other. Clary grinned at the look he presented, and when he turned around to face her, she felt a faint blush stain her cheeks.

He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black sweater that he had rolled up to his elbows, but to Clary, he looked delicious. It took her a moment to realise she was gawking at him as much as she had at the view outside his window and with a slight shake of her head, she said, "Hey."

Jace grinned at her as he put the wooden spoon and beer down and made his way towards her. "Hey yourself. Come straight from work?"

Clary followed his movements with her eyes and nodded her head in confirmation. "Yeah, it was a busy day."

Jace smiled and offered to take her scarf as he reached her. His arm stopped in mid height as Clary's hands came up to wildly grasp the fabric at her neck. "It's cool, I don't mind keeping it on," she explained at his puzzled expression upon her actions.

Tearing his eyes away from her neck, he shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the kitchen, gesturing her forwards. "Want a drink?" Figuring she could do with some liquid courage- or something to at least break the ice- she accepted a glass of red wine. Jace went back to stirring his pot after pouring her drink and Clary leant against the bench opposite him as he worked. "So, what's on the menu tonight?"

Jace glanced at her from over his shoulder and winked as he said, "It's a surprise."

Clary smiled widely at his words and said "Ooh." He smiled and turned back around again, so Clary took the opportunity to take a look around. It really was a very plain place with practical appliances and a large screen television dominating the space on one wall. She was once again struck by the beauty of the scenery from the floor to ceiling window and stood staring out over the river as the sky turned a deep blue colour.

"I can give you the tour if you like." Clary jumped slightly at Jace's words and turned back to face him. She had to crane her neck up to look at him as he was standing closer than she had expected. She hadn't heard him leave the kitchen nor move closer to her; the guy moved like a ghost!

With a curious glance at the pot which was now covered, Clary gave Jace a warm smile. "Well, I can see why you moved out of home. If I had this view to come home to every day, I'd spend less time at work!"

Jace chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, it's a pretty good view. It's better in the morning though when the sun is rising."

Clary nodded her head in agreement; she could imagine how beautiful it would be. They both stood staring out the window for a few moments longer in silence before Jace offered his arm to her. Seeing her confused face, Jace grinned and grabbed her hand, placing it on the crook of his elbow. "I'm giving you a personal tour of Jace Lightwood's humble abode."

Clary snorted through her nose; his apartment was very minimalistic, but it screamed taste and expense. It turned out that his 'humble abode' had two bedrooms, one of which he had converted into a gym. Clary nodded in approval at his range of equipment and noted with a jealous pang his top of the range punching bag swinging from the roof. His bedroom was -like the rest of his house- very basic with a King sized mahogany bed and dresser set. His walls were white and the carpet was a pale cream colour. There were no pictures on the walls, nor any personal effects on the dresser. Clary wondered what he would think of her own room which was usually a cluttered mess of photo frames, sketches, books and clothes.

Once the quick navigation of the apartment was finished, Jace went back to his pot and Clary continued sipping her wine. To break the silence she asked him questions about his day and listened in amusement as he detailed a rather large lunch function that he had had to oversee. Apparently one of his new waiters had been on the receiving end of a customer's flirting, and Jace recounted the utter shock on the kid's face at having attracted the interest of an older woman. "She was wearing the most ridiculously low cut top in the history of man, and the poor kid had trouble focussing on his pad of paper with her chest being on display like that," Jace recalled. "He was terrified that he was going to get into trouble for not being professional so he was looking at the ceiling while talking to her." The look on Jace's face told Clary that he thought the incident was highly amusing rather than utterly unprofessional.

"How old was he?" she asked with a smile.

"Juan's probably just gone seventeen. I don't blame the kid; if it had of been me ten years ago I would have struggled as well!"

Clary smiled to herself at Jace's take on managing employees. He was grounded and could relate to them, so incidents like this which could have caused the kid to be fired elsewhere just made for a funny story in his books.

They continued a casual banter back and forth about Isabelle's wedding; Jace was complaining that his sister was making him wear a pink tie much to Clary's amusement. "I heard that Simon invited you to the wedding," Jace said as he pulled out two plates from a cabinet under the stove.

Clary nodded her head- Maryse had given her an invitation from Isabelle and Simon to attend their wedding- and said, "Yeah, they did invite me. I was rather surprised actually."

Jace looked up at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. "Why were you surprised?"

Shrugging her shoulders she fingered the rim of her wine glass as she said, "Well I don't know Isabelle all that well except for a couple of lunches and her engagement party, and I have only just recently gotten back in contact with Simon, so I guess I was rather shocked they would want to invite me when they don't know me very well."

Jace laughed and as he lifted the pot from the stove, he said, "I don't think Isabelle even knows many people at her own wedding, so trust me, you will be fine. If not, I shall save you from sitting by yourself at the single's table."

Clary snorted rather unladylike and responded, "Nah, I think your cousin Jonathon will ensure that I am not by myself for too long."

Jace looked up at her quickly with a stiff posture and opened his mouth to say something, but upon seeing the look on her face, his expression relaxed and he smiled. "Scratch that; I'll be there to save you from Jonathon then."

Shaking her head and smiling, Clary watched as Jace started to dish out the contents of the pot. It appeared that he had cooked some sort of square pasta like thing in a creamy looking sauce. "Pumpkin ravioli," Jace said after catching her look of curiosity.

After he had finished dishing up the contents of the pan, he walked to the fridge and pulled out a small square block of cheese. With the smallest grater Clary had ever seen, he grated a small amount of cheese on top of the little cushions of pasta. "I remembered how much you loved my pasta, so I decided to make one of my favourite dishes."

The look on Jace's face made Clary's heart give a funny little stutter. He seemed unsure about his choice of meal and Clary couldn't help but feel that it was her fault for him feeling that way. Truth be told, she was feeling overwhelmed that he made pasta for her because he remembered how much she had enjoyed (ok maybe obsessed over was the correct wording) the pasta he made the night they discussed Isabelle's engagement party.

"Oh Jace, but this looks wonderful! Thank you."

Jace gave her a smile and gestured for her to pick up her plate and wine glass and follow him over to a small dining table opposite the glass window. It was already set for two and Clary had to smile as they both settled themselves down to eat.

The pasta was delicious and the sauce was lovely and creamy with a hint of garlic and some herb that she couldn't identify. The discussion was minimal, but it wasn't an awkward silence that they ate in. Jace asked her some questions about her childhood and how she had come to know Magnus and Maia. He asked what it was like working with Maryse and Robert and had laughed when Clary said that Maryse was like a fluffy bunny rabbit but it was Robert who intimidated her. According to Jace, it was Maryse who was the intimidating one and Robert who was the bunny rabbit.

After they had finished eating and Clary had finished her wine, Jace stood up. "Right, dessert time. How good are you at mixing chocolate pieces into cookie dough?"

Looking up at him with surprise, Clary laughed. "Well, when you say mixing, and just mixing, I'm pretty damn good!"

Jace, it appeared, had organized for them to bake chocolate chip cookies. He mixed the main ingredients together as Clary watched. When the mixture had reached the consistency that he was after, he gestured for her to open the bag of chocolate chips. Handing her the bowl and a wooden spoon, Jace smirked at her expression of trepidation. "Go crazy."

Clary frowned at him and threw a chocolate chip at him, but put herself to work mixing the dough and the chocolate chips together. After she had finished, Jace took the bowl and spooned large dollops of the batter onto a non-stick tin. Much to Clary's amusement, the batter only made six cookies; they really were big!

After placing the tin in the oven, Jace and Clary sat down on a plush leather sofa that looked out the window with a fresh glass of wine each. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jace turn his head and take a breath as though to start talking. Turning to him expectedly with a smile, he shook his head as he caught her look and grinned, not saying anything.

The sky outside was clear but the city lights made it hard to see the stars, yet Clary couldn't help but think it was one of the most beautiful sights. At the other end of the sofa, Jace shifted and spread his legs out so that they were resting in Clary's lap. Looking down at his sock clad feet Clary raised an eyebrow up at Jace with a small smile playing on her lips. "So I know it's your house and everything, but shouldn't it be you telling me to make myself at home?"

Jace's laughter shook the sofa and he grinned at her. "Make yourself at home," he smirked.

Letting out a huff of air in pretend annoyance, Clary relaxed back into the sofa and placed her hands on Jace's ankles.

"Foot rub Red?"

Clary smacked his ankle with her left hand but just smiled. They sat in quiet for a while before the oven timer disturbed the peace. Clary knew that with dessert coming up and the end of the night nearing, the chance to talk to Jace about 'them' was getting slimmer. If she didn't do it tonight she doubted she would find the courage to broach the subject again anytime soon. Despite her previous banter about Jonathon, she would prefer to go to the wedding as Jace's date rather than as a single girl.

_Again_.

Jace lifted himself off of her and was back soon after carrying two plates. Each plate had a cookie that almost spanned the length of her hand. "They are amazing warm. The chocolate is still gooey and the middle is nice and soft," he said as he handed her a plate.

Clary poked the middle of her own cookie to check his words and noted with satisfaction that it was indeed soft. With a curious glance at him, she asked, "I thought that you didn't really like foods containing chocolate?"

Jade shrugged and took a large bite out of his cookie. "It's a cookie. How could I resist?"

Clary laughed and shrugged. "Fair enough."

She was halfway through chewing her cookie when Jace put his down and turned towards her. Swallowing the food in her mouth she looked at him in expectation. He looked nervous as he opened and closed his mouth a few times. Looking away from her he took another bite of his cookie and chewed slowly. Confused, Clary just shrugged her shoulders and leant back against the sofa and closed her eyes as the cookie literally made love to her mouth.

_He really was an amazing cook._

"You look really nice tonight."

Clary's eyes flew open and she stared in shock at the man across from her. She had definitely not been expecting that! "Well, you don't scratch up too bad yourself Blondie."

Jace snorted through his nose and muttered, "Isabelle," before turning back to face the window. They both finished the remains of their cookies in silence and Clary started gearing herself up for her talk with Jace as he left her on the sofa to put the dishes in the dishwasher. He had refused her help, and instead had her refill both their wine glasses. The night was still early he said, and Clary couldn't agree more. It wasn't even gone 8pm and the ease at which they could just hang out further cemented in her mind how easy it would be for her and Jace to be together.

He sat back down a short while later with a sigh and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. "Oh come on, there weren't that many dishes," Clary joked as she poked him in the side of his stomach.

Jace groaned and ran his hand over his face. "I hate dishes with a passion. The first position I filled at Taki's was a kitchen hand who could do the dishes for me." Clary laughed and took a sip of her wine as the conversation lulled again.

After staring at Jace out of the corner of her eye she noticed for the third time that evening him open his mouth as though to say something, and then close it again. Letting out a puff of air through pursed lips, she demanded, "Jace, just spit it out."

Jace looked at her with a startled expression on his face but then drew his eyes together and quirked one side of his mouth up. Letting out a sigh, he took a sip of his wine and then carefully put it back on the table. He stood after a moment's hesitation and went to stand and stare out the windows.

Clary watched his movements with a bubble of unease; why was he acting so strange?

Just as she was about to ask him what exactly was going on, he spun to face her. The city lights reflected off his hair with a glow, and she had the random fleeting thought that he would make a beautiful painting.

"I saw Magnus last night."

Clary furrowed her eye brows and cocked her head to the side. What was he getting at? "Oh, that's nice. He left today."

Jace shrugged. "He told me something. About you."

Clary swallowed. The easy atmosphere had picked itself up and fled from the room at his words. "Oh, okay..." Seriously, what was she supposed to say to that?

Nodding, Jace turned back to the window. Speaking to the glass, he continued, "He told me to talk to you about what I saw last night at The Hunter's Moon. He said that I shouldn't judge you for what you have to tell me."

Clary felt her stomach roil in dread. She had hoped that he didn't see her last night; had done everything to get away from the place. Yet somehow she had screwed up somewhere. Her silence seemed to confirm something to him and he moved away from the window back to where he had been sitting just two minutes ago. "You're not going to deny that you were there, are you?"

Clary shook her head. "No, I was there last night as well."

"Did you see me?"

Clary closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly. She eventually had to reopen her eyes after the silence grew too long for her. She met Jace's golden stare with her own green gaze and surprised that he was not looking at her with complete disgust, she looked away in confusion. This was not going how she expected it to.

"I said I would keep an open mind. I want you to tell me everything Clary. I want to be able to understand you better. You're so..." Jace broke off and suddenly stood. Pacing away from her, he paused at the end of the table and then spun on his heel and met her stare again. "God, you're so enigmatic that I never know where I stand with you. One moment you're all over me-" clearly he was referring to that night at Jocelyn's- "and the next you're avoiding me at a bar and then attacking some guy in the middle of the street, and then going home with him! Who are you Clary?"

Clary gasped out loud. He had seen her and that foul example of a man on the street last night? And what did he mean she went home with him? He had referred to her attack on Axel and not the intimate parts, so maybe he hadn't seen everything. Knowing that it was time to come clean with everything, Clary put her wine glass down and smoothed the bottom of her dress out with clammy hands.

Drawing in a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds, she composed herself on the exhale. Looking up into his face, she started. "I'm just me Jace. What you saw last night was me doing something that I do for the benefit of others." As she spoke, Jace had repositioned himself so that he was leaning against the glass wall. His expression had not changed, yet she could not read it.

"So, you remember meeting Sebastian?" Jace nodded. "Well as you know, we were engaged. I was well and truly utterly in love with him. Completely head over heels. I was blind to his faults, literally. He told me to jump, I jumped. I was young, and I thought he was it for me. Until I came home one day to find him with someone else." Even now, remembering the details pained her; it was no longer a pain of the heart, but rather a pain of the brain for being so stupid.

"That destroyed me. Absolutely tore me apart. I didn't do anything for a good three months after that, and I almost failed college as a result. But then I went out with Maia and Magnus one night to a bar, and a good looking young guy came up to me and asked me to dance. I was still wary of men, but when his friend asked Maia to dance as well, we both agreed. I ended up going home with him that night." As she broke off to take a sip of wine, Jace was still watching her intently, although his fists were more tightly held than they had been before.

Clearing her throat, she continued. "When I woke up the next morning in a bed that wasn't mine, I panicked. But then I remembered what had happened and who I was with and I smiled. Maybe I had met another guy who could help me ease the pain; he had been good company and he had made me laugh. But then a door opened somewhere in his apartment and I got up to see what he was doing." Clary ruefully smiled at this point. "I thought I would try to be sexy or something and walk out with just the bed sheet. Turns out, that was the biggest mistake I could make. Walking out I mean, not the bed sheet. A woman was unloading a bag of groceries when I walked out of the room, and when she looked up at me smiling- she must have thought I was someone else- she dropped a jar of olives and stared at me in horror."

Her attention was diverted by Jace rubbing his hand across his chin and looking at her with a sad expression. She knew what it was; pity for the young girl that she had been. "I thought she was his housemate- he did mention having one- and so I smiled at her and offered to help her clean up the glass once I had out some clothes on. She just stared at me with her mouth still open and then she screamed. God, did she scream. I panicked and thought that she must have believed me to be a burglar or something, so I said to her, "It's ok, I'm here with Nathan". Turns out Nathan was her fiancé." Clary let off a bitter laugh as she said the words. It was cold and humourless and it suited the moment perfectly. "I was now the 'other girl'. If I'd have had any food in my stomach, I would have thrown it up that day."

"Shit, Clary." Jace was staring at her like she was the most fragile thing he had ever seen; like he didn't know whether he should touch her or just look at her.

Clary downed some more of her wine and recrossed her legs. "So yes, that is the history behind what you saw last night. After that day, I was terrified of going near another man in case I ended up putting another girl in the same position I had been in with Sebastian. But then one day when I was at a client conference, it hit me. My client was saying that if she had known that her husband was cheating- that she had been told rather than seeing it for herself- she wouldn't have been so damaged. I remembered my own feelings and the look of absolute pain on the other woman's face when I walked into her kitchen, and I realised that yes, it could be better for women to find out what their partners were like if they were told, rather than saw. I was sceptical at first I admit; I don't think I would have believed it if someone told me- I was too in love with him, but then again, I would have been looking for the signs of him not being faithful just to prove everyone else wrong."

Jace had moved while she had been speaking, and he was now once again sitting across from her. He had kept his promise by remaining open, but Clary couldn't tell exactly how much of what she was saying he understood; he had never been in a similar position before. "So that's how I started. I brought up the idea to my client of a hypothetical woman luring men in with her appearances and then letting the man make all the moves from there. It was a joke in a way- a sort of fantasy that we both had fun conjuring. My client actually thought it was a good idea, and she joked that if I knew the number of such a woman, she would be the first client."

Jace nodded his head slowly as though he was trying to work out exactly what she was saying. She knew it was confusing; she didn't have to explain it much- this was the second time after all, Magnus had been the first- so she hoped she got the message across properly. To clarify, she added, "So basically I am that hypothetical girl. Women send me the details of their other half and I go to the bar or the pub or wherever he is and I sit in the corner and I watch him. In some situations the guys don't make a move on other girls, so I do it for them by walking past them and getting their attention. I'm not being vain, but I know I can be pretty and I know that men have a weakness for girls with pretty faces and a pair of breasts."

Jace awkwardly coughed and looked at Clary's chest quickly before looking away. "So yeah, that's my story Jace. That's who I am. Yes I try to seduce men into cheating, but if they were any sort of faithful male, then they would never allow themselves to kiss me, or touch me. I don't sleep with any of them in case you are wondering, and I know my self defence pretty well to be able to stop them when the need arises."

Jace still was not saying anything and Clary rolled her shoulders to loosen the tension that had been building in them. He was staring at her and fiddling with his now empty wine glass. Suddenly, just as Clary was about to stand and excuse herself, he spoke. "Simon?"

Clary looked at him sharply and then nodded. "I received a text message some time ago from a woman asking me to check in on her fiancé. I knew his name was Simon, I knew he wore glasses and I knew he was in a red shirt. I didn't know that it was the Simon I grew up with. I purposely tripped and spilt my drink on Alec so that I could be alone with Simon. But he was the most faithful man I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. We did go back to his place to watch movies of us as kids, but that was all that happened. I sent his fiancé a text telling her that he was a safe choice. I didn't realise that it was Isabelle that was his fiancé; I figured that part out at lunch with Maryse some days after. That was one of the most horrible moments of doing this little thing. Usually I never know the women, or what happens to the men. I ended up having to prepare an engagement party for a couple that I green lighted."

Jace raised his eyebrows at her final words, but again just nodded as though he was going through it all in his head. "So what, you do this all for personal satisfaction? That seems like a pretty hefty thing to do to get molested by men for nothing."

Clary swallowed and took a breath. This was the part that had mostly angered Magnus. "I actually do charge a fee."

Jace sat up straighter in his chair and looked at her closely. "Go on," he prompted when he could tell she wasn't going to go on willingly.

"It's just for the men who actually surprise me and don't give in. I charged Isabelle because Simon was, well, true at heart I guess you could say. But for other women, I don't charge them. I figured it was cruel to expect them to pay me when I was the woman- or one of the women- who their partner's had cheated with."

Bringing his hands up, Jace rubbed his eyes and then wove his hands through his hair. With his hands still on his head, he asked, "What I saw last night; is that how they all end up?"

Clary gave a low chuckle. "Gosh no! I was on the dance floor with him and had already determined that he had over stepped his boundaries when I saw you. I didn't think it was a good idea to let you see me dancing with another guy the night before tonight's dinner, so I escaped. Unfortunately, he followed me out and cornered me on the street. The assault you saw was the worst of it, but if you also saw me disarming him, you know that I do not go further with them."

Jace had frozen while she was talking and he leant forwards, asking as soon as she was finished speaking, "What do you mean by 'before tonight's dinner'?"

Clary gave him an odd look, but answered anyway. "Last night before I even met the guy I had decided to stop with this thing I have been doing. I wasn't even going to do last night's client, but he came up to me first so I figured I could do one more." Clary paused and then looked at Jace squarely. She had already bared so much to him, what was a little more? "I decided to stop because I'm interested in you Jace. I'm interested in getting to know you better and having more random dinner dates and weirder dinner invites."

Their eyes met and they both smiled, remembering the latest invite which had been taped to her lunch plate. "So you mean to say that you are actually done with these 'catch a cheater' schemes then?" Jace asked when they had both looked away awkwardly. Clary had just admitted out loud that she was interested in him; now the ball was in his court.

Clary nodded and drained the rest of her wine. Standing up, she ran her hands down her dress and said, "But it's ok if this is going too fast for you. I know that since your fiancé died you might not be looking for anything, but I just thought I would let you know that this is where I stand." Jace hadn't moved when she stood up, and so she made her way to the kitchen to place her wine glass in the sink. She refused to think that she should not have said anything. She wasn't getting any younger and- now that she had finally decided to stop her little 'catch the cheater' schemes- if Jace wasn't interested then she was sure she could start to look elsewhere.

Resting her hands on the kitchen counter, Clary breathed in deeply. The smell of Jace's cooking still lingered in the air and the remaining cookies were sitting uncovered on a plate.

Man she loved those cookies.

Reaching out to grab one, Clary bit into it but almost choked when a warm body pressed into her back. Jace had obviously moved while she had been thinking about smells and tastes, and he unexpectedly snatched the cookie from her hand. Unsure of what this meant, Clary kept her back turned to him but lowered both hands so that they were supporting her against the kitchen bench.

With a whisper to her right ear, Jace murmured, "You have your own demons Clary. I have mine as well. Maybe one day I will tell you about them, but this is not the occasion for sad memories." Clary closed her eyes against the sensation of Jace's breath in her ear. Her heart was beating quickly and her breath caught in her throat at his next words. "This is the occasion where I finally ask you to be my girlfriend."

She had not been expecting things to move this fast, and Jace was _still_ speaking. "But first, I need to know that you trust me enough to not be looking for ulterior motives for every time I go out with Simon and Alec. I need to know that you trust me enough to stay true to you. No one else has ever caught my eye quite like you Clary. Quite simply, you are the one I want."

Clary let her head drop forwards as she let out a little sigh. This was definitely moving fast! But she was prepared to go as far as he was willing to. "I trust you Jace. Do you trust me to go out with Magnus and Maia and tell men who try to hit on me to go to hell?"

Jace's chuckle vibrated across her back. "Actually, I wouldn't mind encouraging some guys to hit on you; you are unbelievably sexy when you are fired up. But I don't envy any man who gets kneed by you."

Clary smiled and turned in his arms. "Then I guess I am your girlfriend. Cynical, sarcastic and witty perspectives of life and all; I'm yours."

With a smile Jace lowered his head and sought a kiss from her lips. They tasted like fine wine and chocolate. "Then it's sealed," he said as he drew away with a smile.

Before he drew her back in- he never thought he would get tired of kissing her- he held her by the shoulders at a distance from his body. With a critical look he said, "Now, let me set some ground rules. You are not under any circumstances allowed in my kitchen." Clary smiled at him and stood on tiptoes to kiss him on the lips chastely.

Moving her head to his ear she whispered, "And when you are at my place, under no circumstances are you allowed in my kitchen."

The horrified expression on Jace's face said it all.

Fin.

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><p><strong>Phew! What a ride! I thank you all for reading, favourite-ing and alerting this story and to my reviewers, you are amazing! I would love to hear what you think about it now that it is all finished! It would be amazing if we could get to 150+ reviews to send this fic off!<strong>

**I don't know if I will write an epilogue; if you think I should, let me know :) Anything you think has been unanswered? Anything you would like to read more of? (Isabelle's wedding day maybe? Or another one of Clary's cooking mishaps? Or a 10years in the future type of thing?)**

**xx**


	20. Extra scene 1

**Hey Fanfictioners... I'm back!**

**In celebration of The City Of Bones finally making it to cinemas, I am bringing you a few one-off scenes as the demand for more has actually overwhelmed me! And I've been terrified of writing something more and no one liking it... But here goes!**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>18months from when we last heard from Clary and Jace.<p>

"Erm... Isabelle..."

Isabelle lifted her head from its spot on the couch and peeled off a cucumber slice from her right eye. Looking at Clary, she delicately raised an eyebrow. "Yes...?"

"You don't by chance favour this pan do you?" At her words, Clary raised a silver frying pan up for Isabelle to see. The inside of the pan had been burnt with something and appeared to have lost its Teflon lining.

"What the hell did you do Clary?" Isabelle was sitting up now and staring with two cucumber free eyes at the frying pan that Simon had recently bought them.

"Well... I walked into the kitchen."

Isabelle rolled her eyes and snorted. "Figures. Jace said you were a terrible cook, but he never said to keep you away from a kitchen."

Clary grinned sheepishly and lowered the pan. She didn't want Isabelle to walk into the kitchen as the smell of burnt batter was ridiculously strong. She was surprised the fire alarm hadn't gone off at the smell. "I promise I'll get Jace to show me the best pans and I'll buy you both a new one!" Clary smiled hopefully at her new girlfriend batting her eyelashes rapidly.

Isabelle let out a short bark of laughter. "You do know that Jace's idea of a good pan is like six hundred dollars right?"

Clary shrugged and turned back towards the kitchen. "I still feel bad!" she called over her shoulder as she walked back into the kitchen.

It was Isabelle and Simon's wedding day, and Clary had come to Isabelle's house early to help her with organizing herself. Maryse was at the reception venue ensuring everything was perfect, and as Isabelle's only bridesmaid/ Maid Of Honour, Clary was in charge of the girly things that happened on a wedding day.

Like providing the wine and strawberries.

Clary suspected that Simon was probably hyperventilating in Jace's bathroom as he had turned up on their doorstep last night looking a rather grayish colour. Clary had spent five minutes laughing at the poor man's pre-wedding jitters and had left him with Jace while she had gone to watch movies and paint her nails with Isabelle.

Clary had breezed through the front door at 7am to find Isabelle already awake and pacing the length of her apartment in nervous anticipation. The Bride had opted for a simple and effortless look for her hair and makeup and was determined to do both by herself. Clary was in awe of the girl, but Isabelle took everything in her stride. Currently she was lying on the sofa with a face mask on and cucumber on her eyes with a number of hair rollers in place.

As she approached the kitchen sink to deposit the now useless pan, Clary's cell phone rang. Picking it up, she was greeted with the sound of her boyfriend's voice.

"I don't think Simon's going to make it Red," was his greeting.

Clary laughed as she turned the water on to rinse the pan. The evidence of her disastrous attempt at breakfast was spread over the kitchen bench and she was keen to get it out of sight. Having a chef for a boyfriend had its perks, but it was also pretty bad for her ego when she couldn't even cook pancakes. "He'd better show. Isabelle's been calm and collected all morning, but I'm sure that if he was so much as a minute late standing next to the pastor, she will make him rue this day."

Jace chuckled before asking, "What are you doing?" Clearly the sound of her washing the pan had sparked his interest.

Letting out a breath of air through her teeth, Clary answered honestly. "Well, Isabelle and I decided last night- after two bottles of wine I should mention- that I would cook us breakfast. We figured that I'd be the least likely to either poison us or burn the house down." Clary paused here knowing that Jace knew something had happened based on her tone of voice.

"Oh Lord, you're not at the hospital are you?" Jace's voice indicated his rising panic.

Laughing at his worry, Clary quickly corrected him. "No I'm- _we're-_ still at Isabelle's, but I kind of ruined one of the frying pans that Simon bought them recently. So I kind of owe them a new one." Clary eyed the blackened pan that she was scrubbing again with a thoughtful expression. She still had a breakfast to make, and so she wondered if she could just scrape out the flaky black Teflon and still use it.

"Man Clary. We're really going to have to give you those cooking lessons soon aren't we?"

Despite Jace not being near enough to see, Clary's face slightly turned red. The night they had their first discussion about her taking cooking lessons had ended rather interestingly. It had been about a month or so into their relationship and she had cooked him dinner for the third time. She had tried to make lasagne, but had completely forgotten about it and by the time Jace had arrived, it had turned black and was too dry for either of them to eat, no matter how much ketchup they squeezed on it.

Jace had sat her down and kneeled in front of her as he carefully explained to her that she needed to learn how to cook pronto. He had said with a sly gleam in his eye that he was a busy working man and she was the woman in the relationship and therefore had certain duties to fulfil. Clary had shot up from the couch so fast that she had accidentally kneed him in the groin and slammed her hip bone into his temple. Jace had collapsed backwards gracelessly with a short cry of pain, even though it took Clary a moment to realise he was genuinely in pain and wasn't just faking it.

The moment she had worked it out, she had dropped to her knees and had started fussing over him, apologising and kissing his head. With a strength that belied his 'condition', Jace had rolled her onto her back and had pinned her to the floor with his body with a shit-eating grin on his face. With their bodies pressed so closely together for the first time since they had been in the swimming pool at Isabelle's engagement party, the sexual tension between the two had shot up to fever raising levels. Jace had lowered his head and whispered "I forgive you," before claiming her mouth with his own. Despite the long conversation that they needed to have about 'who does what' in their relationship- no way was she becoming a house wife!- Clary gave in and kissed him back just as forcefully.

That had been the first night they had slept together, and it was definitely one of Clary's favourite memories of the past eighteen months. Laughter from the other end of the line brought Clary back to the present. "Remembering it too?" Jace asked in a husky voice.

Rolling her eyes, Clary ignored his question and responded to his initial question. "Yes, I think cooking lessons sound good. I'm not sure our combined incomes could afford to keep replacing the amount of kitchenware that I destroy.

Jace laughed and agreed they would start lessons soon. Clary knew he was excited to teach her; he enjoyed watching people master new food dishes, and here she was, a blank slate prepared to learn anything and everything he taught her.

They hung up soon after, but Clary was still at a loss of what to cook. She was tempted to just pour some cereal into a bowl and give it to Isabelle, but she felt that she ought to do something special given it was her wedding day. An inspection of the refrigerator revealed that Simon and Isabelle had a carton of eggs, so Clary decided to just cook scrambled eggs on toast. It was simple and she knew even she couldn't screw up toast or microwaving eggs.

Fifteen minutes later, Clary and Isabelle were polishing off the remaining bits of egg scattered on their plates. For such a cooking tragedy, Clary hoped neither of them were going to throw up when walking down the aisle due to dodgy or undercooked eggs. Isabelle had reassured her that the eggs were new and that they were well cooked. Even the toast was a nice shade of light brown which impressed Clary as she either overcooked or undercooked her toast at home.

Isabelle had been rather quiet all morning, which while unnerving as the girl normally rarely stopped talking, Clary attributed it to nerves. However, when Isabelle suddenly turned and faced Clary with a serious expression, Clary knew it was something different on the girl's mind.

"It was you wasn't it?"

Clary titled her head in a gesture for Isabelle to give more information. She what?

"It was you that I contacted about Simon."

The matter of fact way that Isabelle said it as though she knew one hundred percent that she was right, caused Clary's heartbeat to increase to a gallop.

Not knowing what to do with herself or how to answer, Clary shifted in her seat and fiddled with her hands. "Isabelle I-" Clary was cut off short in her attempted explanation by Isabelle.

"No Clary it's alright. If you feel you need to apologize, don't. From what I've heard of Sebastian, I think that you did something that you needed to do to get through it all. It's not exactly the most socially acceptable way I must admit, but you did it to benefit other women like me."

Clary stared at Isabelle gobsmacked. She had been dreading the day her little scheme in the past would come to light, and she had hoped that it would just stay between her and Jace and Magnus. Never would she have expected Isabelle to bring it up like this- on her wedding day nonetheless-, and actually accept it.

Clary wasn't sure how to even respond to Isabelle's words, so she made eye contact and smiled weakly before saying in a low voice, "I really am sorry though. If Simon had of fallen for my seduction, then we probably wouldn't be here right now."

Isabelle gave a wide grin and responded, "But he didn't, because that's how much he loves me. You're a gorgeous girl Clary, and I can understand how other men might have fallen for you, but not Simon. Simon is mine and I am his, and nothing can change that for either of us."

Letting out a soft laugh Clary nodded her head. "Yes, he does love you. As soon as I worked out who he really was, I admit that I was disappointed that he had a girlfriend. My mum had wanted the two of us to grow up together and get married when we were younger. But you're definitely the better girl."

Isabelle waggled her eyebrows and said in a knowing voice, "And now you have Jace. And you are perfect for him."

"Except for the cooking part," Clary said and after a pause both girls started laughing, whatever tension Clary feeling melting away. Isabelle was an easy girl to get along with once you knew how to handle her, and Clary was definitely happy that they were such close friends. Isabelle did not have many girl friends, so Clary was happy to fill the role that Maia filled for her.

As their laughter died down and Isabelle went off to her bedroom to begin the arduous process of moisturizing her body and putting on her lingerie, Clary made a start on cleaning the kitchen. Her phone went off with a trill about halfway through doing the dishes and she opened a message from Jace.

"Still alive I'm guessing?"

Rolling her eyes, Clary responded with: "You will be pleased to learn that Simon still has a bride." After hitting send, Clary continued with finishing the dishes. Four minutes later she received a response.

"Excellent. So now I can stop him from climbing out the window."

Clary's eyebrows shot up at this message, but she figured Jace was joking. Or so she hoped. She had no doubt that Isabelle would lose the plot if Simon failed to show.

She chose to respond with: "That would be advisable. I really don't want to have to bail Isabelle out of jail on her wedding day."

Jace's reply came back within a minute. "All safe and sound and finally dressed. He tried to do a runner in just his underpants. I'm not sure anyone but Isabelle is prepared to see that."

Clary snorted with laughter. His humour and wit were two of the things she loved- yes loved, they had passed 'like' months ago- best about him. Before she could reply though, her phone buzzed again with another message from him.

"So what did you girls end up eating for breakfast?"

Not seeing how he could fault eggs on toast, Clary told him. While she waited for a reply, she grabbed a tea towel and made a start on drying the dishes she had just washed.

His reply made her giggle. "OMG! It's a culinary masterpiece!"

It was at that moment that Isabelle stuck her head around the kitchen door looking less than calm and collected. "Clary! You have to help me! I can't work out how these bloody things work!" In Isabelle's hands were a number of soft pink lengths of sheer fabric.

Not wanting to laugh at Isabelle's distress, but finding the situation funny anyway, Clary told Isabelle to return to her room and that she would be there soon.

After putting the last of the dishes away, Clary sent off a quick text message to Jace. "Isabelle is having a lingerie disaster. Shall see you at some point today. X"

As she was walking to Isabelle's room, Jace's reply of "I don't want to know what my sister is wearing under her dress!" was followed instantly with "I am however looking forward to getting you out of yours... I saw those garters you packed last night. *growl*"

Clary's laughter followed her into Isabelle's room and the two girls had a good time talking about boyfriend's and lingerie and bedroom play as they worked out how to get Isabelle's garter set and dress on.

Who knew that being a Maid Of Honour was so much fun?!

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><p>The ceremony went off without a hitch and Isabelle and Simon were Mr and Mrs Lewis before 7pm that night. As Isabelle's Maid Of Honour, she had to dance with the Best Man. As she was skilfully navigated around the dance floor by Jace, Clary reflected on what had brought them to this point. Jace was charming and gentle and everything that Sebastian was not. She had started out cautious of her growing feelings for him, but eventually gave in and offered him as much of her heart that she could spare while still protecting it. She hoped that one day she could give all of it to him, but for now they were both content with the way things were between them. Clary had no doubt that Jace loved her. It was clear in everything he did and even as they danced, the look in his eye and his hold on her didn't leave room for doubt.<p>

As Isabelle had put it: he was hers and she was his.

Once the first few songs were over and Jace was spirited off to dance with other family members, Clary tried to make her way back to the Bridal table to have a sit down. The heels that Isabelle had demanded she wear with her dress were killing her calves. Halfway across the floor, she was snagged around the waist from behind. Turning her head, she came face to face with an unwelcome sight.

Jonathon was staring at her through drunken eyes and it was clear he expected a dance from her judging by the way he pulled her body in close to his. In a room full of Isabelle and Jace's family, she couldn't outright refuse him, so she accepted his hand and placed her other hand on his shoulder. Jonathon's right hand was lower on her back than was normally accepted to be polite, but he didn't seem to have any desire to move it, leering at her whenever she reached behind to move his hand up.

From directly behind his head, Clary could see Jace dancing with Simon's mother. His eyes were fixed directly on the two of them and with a wink Clary indicated to him that she had it under control. In the few times that Clary had seen Jonathon since her and Jace had got together, Jonathon had taken it upon himself to show her why he was the better choice of man. It had become something of a game to Clary to figure out the most unique- cough, horrible, cough- way to shoot down his advances.

For the first time that night, she was glad she was wearing ridiculously high heeled shoes. Jonathon was very drunk so it wouldn't look odd for her to 'stumble' and stab his feet with her shoes; it would just look like he had caused her to misstep.

Unfortunately for her, after the fifth heel stabbing, Jonathon was still dancing with her. Clearly he was too intoxicated to feel her heel pressing through the fabric of his Vans and so her attempts to be rid of him were failing miserably.

Who even wore Vans to a wedding?!

Eventually she sought Jace's eyes and with a mouthed 'help me', her boyfriend passed Simon's mother off to another relative and sauntered over to their swaying- Jonathon couldn't really do much else- forms with an angry expression on his face.

Clary knew that Jace didn't like Jonathon, and liked him touching her less. This was the first time that he had looked angry though, and Clary guessed it had something to do with the placement of his cousin's hand on her back. Jace gripped his cousin's shoulder tightly as Jonathon dropped Clary's hand and turned to face his pissed off cousin.

Slurring, Jonathon said loudly, "Jace my man! I'm dancing here with this hot piece of ass of yours!" completely missing the fuming look on Jace's face, Jonathon turned to her and said with a wink, "Lucky guy isn't he Clary?"

Unfortunately for Jonathon, it wasn't Jace who acted upon his words. Clary lifted her knee and slammed it right into his groin while hissing through clenched teeth, "Get the fuck off me you worthless idiot. Never touch me or talk to me like that again!"

Allowing Jonathon to drop to his knees hidden by the dancing crowd of closely packed bodies, Clary delicately stepped backwards. With a quick sweep of her dress to ensure she was decent, Clary took Jace's hand and walked away from the man she had just temporarily disabled. The two walked hand in hand to the outskirts of the dance floor and gently swayed together, the recent events already forgotten.

Clary leaned in close to Jace's ear and whispered, "You really are lucky you know."

Smirking, Jace replied, "Oh I know. But what in particular am I lucky about?"

The smirk was wiped off Jace's face as Clary whispered about what she was- or rather wasn't- wearing under her figure hugging red dress. It had been decided by both Isabelle and Clary while shopping for their wedding lingerie that they would use the night to seduce their men.

And like all things in her life, Clary took it as a challenge that needed to be excelled in. And if she was honest, she really had outdone herself.

With a deep groan, Jace grabbed the back of Clary's head with one hand and slid the other down to her bottom which he used to pull her flush against his lower body. Hungrily, he sought her mouth for a lust filled kiss ignorant of his surrounding family members.

Yes, he was a lucky man indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think! <strong>

**Leave it at that or more? (I have an Alec and Magnus scene that I am playing with, plus a cooking lesson...)**

:)


	21. Extra scene 2

**Hello,**

**The next epilogue for you darlings. **

**It's a short one, but some Malec cuteness in this one!**

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews for the first epilogue I posted. They made my day!**

* * *

><p>"No Magnus."<p>

"But Alec, I bought it just for you."

"Seriously, I said no Magnus!"

"Party pooper. You're no fun."

Eyeing the dark blue and black eye shadow that Magnus was waving in front of his face with undisguised disgust, Alec stood up from his spot on the couch. Magnus had been trying to convince him to wear the ghastly make up for weeks now, and Alec flat out refused.

Why his boyfriend was trying to convince him to wear make-up was beyond him, but apparently it had something to do with "_Practicing my skills. And because you have gorgeous eyes Alec_". Magnus, ever the entrepreneur, had taken it upon himself to enrol in a make-up course after meeting one of the guests at Isabelle and Simon's wedding. Simon's next-door-neighbour was a make-up artist who had absolutely loved what Magnus had done to his eyes. Alec had suffered through fifteen minutes of talk about make-up before he had been required to dance with a cousin. Normally Alec hated dancing, but given the alternate, he was more than eager to shuffle around on the dance floor with his seventeen year old cousin.

"Avoiding the topic of making me look like my sister even more, what are we going to get for dinner?"

Magnus looked up from his inspection of his new make-up kit and shrugged his slim shoulders. "I'm all for Sushi," he said before lowering his head again. He didn't look inclined to move from his place on the floor where a number of containers of loose powder eye shadow were scattered around him. Alec had requested that Magnus use a number of sheets of paper to protect the pale coloured carpet, and after much grumbling and a "You're cramping my style Alec", Magnus had acquiesced.

Alec sighed and stood staring at Magnus as he opened a few containers and brushed the powder along the top of his hand for another moment before turning around and heading into the kitchen. Knowing the number and order by heart, Alec organized to pick the food up in twenty minutes. He was hoping that Magnus would join him on the short stroll, but based on past experience, Alec knew that Magnus was going to spend the night sulking at being denied a little fun of using him as a guinea pig.

Alec had no problem with his boyfriend's eccentric personality but sometimes it got to the point where he had to put his foot down and deny Magnus. It wasn't something he liked to do; Magnus was his and he loved pleasing him, but wearing make-up was something he flat out refused to indulge his boyfriend in.

The two men had moved into the same apartment five months ago and had instantly settled into their de-facto relationship; married in every aspect except one. Alec was not by nature the sort of man who liked public displays of affection but Magnus was the opposite and Alec often found himself swatting Magnus' hands away from his bum or turning his head to divert Magnus' kiss. It was something that he knew upset Magnus- who enjoyed affection whether public or private- but he had never felt comfortable with it even as a teenager and dating girls in school.

He supposed it had something to do with his mother and father. Alec knew they loved each other very much but he very rarely witnessed them being affectionate as he grew up. Isabelle and Simon on the other hand acted like love struck teenagers whenever he saw them. Clary and Jace were the most recent couple and despite his initial feelings towards Clary, Alec often found himself more comfortable with those two than with his sister and her husband.

Despite this, Alec sometimes caught himself thinking of Clary as being quite a cold woman. He had once voiced this to Jace a few months after they had started dating. Jace was by nature a man who enjoyed lavishing his attentions on a woman, and so he was curious about how his brother handled her aloof behaviour. Jace had laughed and assured him that in private she was very different to the woman she pretended to be in public.

Alec had wanted to ask Jace why she had to pretend to be someone she wasn't, but he didn't feel like incurring his brother's wrath on behalf of Clary. That woman had his brother wrapped around her little pinkie.

A loud curse from the other room brought Alec out of his idle thoughts and he walked to the kitchen door to see what had caused Magnus to swear. His boyfriend was currently standing and Alec could see blue smudges of powder down Magnus' flamingo pink shirt.

Quirking an eyebrow at Magnus' uncharacteristic clumsiness, Alec stepped forward and with a sigh said, "Did you drop it Magnus?"

Magnus' head shot up and the look on his face tore at Alec's heart. Magnus looked like a puppy sent outside for chewing up a shoe. His mouth was turned down into a pout and his eyes were beginning to water. Knowing that he could not deny his boyfriend now, Alec went over to Magnus and enveloped him in a hug. "I'm sorry you dropped your eye shadow. I'm sure we can buy you some more tomorrow."

Unbeknownst to Alec, a sly smile was making its way across Magnus' lips as he was being held. He hadn't meant to drop the eye shadow, but only a small amount of the loose powder was lost; the rest had fallen onto the sheets of paper that Alec had demanded be placed there for the very reason of an accidental spill. It was an easy enough thing for him to funnel the powder back into the jar in a few seconds.

But Alec didn't need to know that.

Magnus' relished the moments of weakness when Alec would hold him and comfort him. They were rare and far between, and Magnus had no qualms about playing up his disappointment. Letting out a soft sniff he moaned, "It was my favourite colour Alec. It was the same colour as your eyes... And I never even got to test it out!"

Hearing Alec sigh into his left ear, he had a moment to reorganize his face into one resembling dismay before Alec drew back and planted a soft kiss on his temple. "Listen, if it means that much to you Magnus, we will get you a new colour tomorrow. And I'll even let you try it out on me if it will make you feel better. But first, how about we go get some food and we can watch whatever is on the television and then we can go to bed. It's an easily fixed problem Magnus."

Magnus had to duck his head into the crook of Alec's neck so that the other man would not see the grin spreading across his face. Alec was too soft with him and could never really refuse something he wanted. Even if it was being used as a test dummy for 'midnight sparkle' eye shadow.

They stood like that for another few minutes with Alec soothingly rubbing circles on Magnus' back while Magnus tried to reign in his glee at having won this little battle. As always, it was Alec who broke the contact between them when he said that they should head off to pick the food up. Magnus agreed to take the short walk with him to the Chinese shop around the corner, only slightly pouting when Alec quickly withdrew his hand once they were on the main street.

Magnus did not sulk for very long. It was a beautiful evening and with the prospect of testing his new make-up on Alec, he was feeling overjoyed. Looking over at Alec, he smirked to himself as he wondered whether the other man knew that Clary and Jace were coming over for dinner the following evening.

Sometimes Magnus was glad that Alec loved him so much; his boyfriend had put up with a lot of crazy things, however in the back of his mind, Magnus made a mental note to prepare the spare bedroom.

He had a feeling Alec was going to ignore him for the next few days.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Alec! Just a little bit of dignity lost when Clary and Jace walked in the following evening I would imagine!<strong>

**I have plans for another Clary and Jace scene, but until then, anything else you would like to read?**


	22. Ending: Part I

**Wow, it's been a while!**

**So I have had a number of you telling me to continue with this story, and now here it is! It is in two parts – I will be posting the second part up shortly.**

**I hope you enjoy, and I shall see you at the end**

**(I came across my old 30 Seconds to Mars albums while writing this, and Alibi is something that I drew inspiration from for the tone of this chapter)**

**Warning: Angst. So much angst.**

* * *

><p>The old man pets his dog while gazing out across the water thinking about his Alice. His wife of fifty years had died two years back, yet every Sunday night he would make his way to this bench to continue the tradition Alice had made him promise to continue. Every Sunday night it was Burt, Alice and Benji sitting on this exact same wooden bench watching the sunset over the ocean. Benji was getting old now, and Burt knew his best pal's life was going to be done soon. Burt just hoped the old Spaniel died before him. No one else was going to look after him if Burt died first. Benji deserved to die in the comfort of his home, not in an animal shelter somewhere.<p>

Man and dog sigh at the same time as they continue to stare out at the water. Alice loved to sit here in the silence with her head on his shoulder and just hum as they stared ahead. She used to tell him stories about the people they would watch on the beach. The kids, the families and the lovers. She loved to imagine the beautiful lives they led. Used to hope they were as happy as she was with him.

Benji cocks his head and Burt focuses on what has his dog's attention. A young woman with red flyaway hair is chasing a young man across the sand. The man is in a black suit and the woman is in a long white dress. The fabric is bunched up in her hands out of the way of her legs as she struggles across the sand. She is a fair way back- clearly the man has had a head start. He is not running, but he is striding with sure steps, while the woman is hampered by a pair of heels on her feet. The woman's hair is like a fire in the wind.

Nostalgia hits Burt as he remembers the colour of Alice's hair. Hers was as red as this young woman's. Burt watches the two and smiles as he decides to play Alice's game. He imagines these two are lovers. But like all lovers, they are having a quarrel. He finds himself frowning as he tries to imagine what they could be fighting about. The woman is gesturing wildly at his back, but the man does not turn around. Burt watches as the woman pauses to take her shoes off before throwing them away from her in her hurry to catch up to the runaway man.

They were definitely having a quarrel.

Silly kids. Didn't they know that love and life are short? They should spend their time wrapped up in each other's arms. They should be whispering about love and destiny and dreams. They should be staring at each other with absolute adoration and absolute certainty. Burt knew Alice was his the moment he laid eyes on her, and from that day in 1962 when they had been married, he had never let her go. Burt frowns disapprovingly at the young man.

Once a man finds a woman he loves, he should never turn his back on her.

* * *

><p>"Jace stop!"<p>

"Jace!"

"Jace Lightwood! Stop this insta- argh! Shit!" Clary swore viciously as her high heeled feet struggled to find purchase in the soft sand. Muttering murderous things under her breath she bent down and slipped her heels off before charging back after Jace, flinging her shoes away from her. The wind was in her face and her white dress was streaming along behind her as she pushed her small body onwards. If he ever talked to her again, she was going to kill him if her calves were cramping tomorrow.

"Just stop already! Let me explain!"

From in front of her Jace's distorted voice carried on the wind. "I don't want to hear your excuses Clary."

Letting out a snarl of frustration, Clary upped her game and pushed her feet harder into the sand. She was so close to reaching him. She hadn't even realised he was missing until Isabelle told her that he had stormed off towards the beach looking pissed off. He had been avoiding her all night and Clary didn't know what his problem was.

"Just go away Clary. I don't want to deal with your shit tonight."

White hot fury licked through her body as his words carried on the wind. "Not cool Jace," she screamed at him, her voice catching on his name. A sob threatened to tear itself out of her throat. Whether it was from despair or anger she wasn't sure. Both perhaps.

"Just turn around. Talk to me. Face this like a man."

Unfortunately it seemed that Jace had forgotten what it meant to be a man. Clary rolled her eyes as he flipped her 'the bird' over his shoulder.

"Not acceptable Jace. You can do better than that," she taunted him.

He had been acting weird all day, and had even turned her away last night. Something was not right with him, and she needed to find out what was on his mind.

Although she had wanted it, she was unprepared for when Jace did whirl around like a tornado of fury. The look on his face made her falter and all that could be heard was her panting breaths and the harsh crash of waves a few feet from them.

The distance between them was great. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. His eyes were closed off to her.

The anger radiating off of him was as strong as the sun's rays and Clary could see his fists clench and unclench. A sure sign of his agitation.

He was pinning her with an angry glare. "Not acceptable?" he scoffed, his hands still bunching at his side. "Not _acceptable_ Clary? Are you for real?"

Clary let out a scream of frustration. "I don't know what your problem is tonight! You're acting like a bloody woman Jace."

His head shook slowly and he let out a loud groan before grabbing two fistfuls of hair and pulling in frustration. "Bullshit. You know exactly what's going on. When were you going to tell me that you were offered a job six hours away?"

Clary's world froze at his words.

_He knew._

_Oh God, he knew!_

This was it, wasn't it? The end.

This was the end of her and Jace, right here, right now. On this beach with the winter wind and the angry waves and her heart being broken into a million pieces.

And it was all her fault.

"Just let me explain!"

She swallowed nervously when Jace lowered his hands and stared at her in silence. She licked her dry lips when he began to stalk towards her with deadly intent. She knew he was angry at her and for the first time in the six years since they had been dating, she felt scared of him. Scared, yet so turned on. He was beautiful like this. Like an angel that was untouchable. But Jace wasn't untouchable. He was hers and she had touched him as much as he had touched her.

When he reached her, he grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled their foreheads together. His hands were a scorching heat against her frozen skin. She was not dressed for this wind. The intensity of his voice tore at her when he finally spoke and his eyes commanded she look at him. "What do you want to explain? I saw it with my own eyes Clary. You have no idea how fucking broken I am right now!"

Clary's heart wrenched as she watched a lone tear make its way down Jace's cheek. She knew he was broken, and it tore her up inside to know she was the one responsible for it. _'I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!'_ she wanted to scream.

But she didn't. And she wouldn't.

"I wish you hadn't seen it," she murmured lightly ignoring the silent request of his eyes and turning her head to the side to stare at the waves. She couldn't look him in the face. Not like this, not when everything was so raw. Not when she had better memories of Jace laughing and smiling at her. She didn't want his hatred to poison the looks of love and affection she had stamped in her memories.

Everything had been going perfect. For six whole years the two of them had been living in complete harmony. Best friends, lovers and soul mates. But now, now Clary wasn't so sure.

Jace was silent for a moment and then he drew back with a sigh. "I don't know what to do Clary. I'm literally lost."

Clary swallowed thickly and nodded her head. Tears threatened to fall but she willed them to stay behind her eyes.

One still escaped when she blinked and she raised a shaky hand to wipe it away.

To her surprise, Jace got to it first. "Here," he murmured wiping the wetness on his finger across her bottom lip. "Your lips always get so dry when you cry."

Clary's heart felt like it was going to choke itself to death and suddenly she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand being so close to him when he was being this kind to her. She was the one at fault here. She was the one who was too cowardly to act like a grown woman and talk about her decision.

"Why?"

One whispered word.

"I had to Jace. I had to say yes."

* * *

><p><strong>Four months ago<strong>

"Shit Clary. What are you going to do?"

The concern in Maia's voice was lost on Clary as she stared numbly at the screen in front of her. She could read the words but they weren't being processed by her brain.

"Clary? Clary? Oi Clary!"

The finger snapping in front of her face brought her out of her stupor. Maia's face reflected the turmoil Clary was experiencing and she was fiercely glad that she had her best friend's support right now.

"Oh Maia! I don't know!"

It had been two weeks since her boss had brought up the topic of her transferring offices. At first Clary had been eager for a new opportunity, but as her boss had explained exactly what the transfer entailed, she realised that this opportunity was bigger than she expected.

Clary had quit working for Maryse and Robert Lightwood three years ago after she had been offered a job with Buttrose and Banks Lawyers as an Associate. Much to Clary's surprise at the time, Robert had been the one to approach her about the opening. He had told her it was an opportunity not to be missed and even though it was a good hour and a half away from where she lived in Idris, she had applied and eventually she had been offered the position.

Jace had been supportive of her decision to take the job and despite the long hours, Clary had thrived in her new workplace. A strain had been placed on their relationship to begin with, but soon the two of them had worked out a way to function as a couple. Clary and Jace were as dysfunctional as they came, but they loved each other and to them, that was all that mattered. All of their friends were either married or engaged, and Simon and Isabelle already had two young children. Clary and Jace were as good as any legally wedded couple anyway. And now was not the time for children; they both knew that.

And now, here today, the world she had built with Jace was warring with a world that could offer her so much opportunity career wise. This transfer would take her out of state. She knew Jace would never agree to move. He had his career and life in Idris. As much as she loved Jace, she also loved her job.

This promotion was a huge deal to her and judging by the look on Maia's face, her best girl friend knew exactly what position Clary was in. "What do I do Maia?"

Maia nibbled on her lip in anxiety. "Girl, you're going to have to talk to him about this."

Clary groaned and fell back against the cushion on her seat. "I know, I know. But Maia, I really want this. What if he says no?"

Maia smiled at her sympathetically. "He's going to say no Clary. You know this. I know this. But he won't stop you from leaving if it's what you want. He just won't follow you."

Nodding her head dejectedly, Clary sighed. She knew Maia was right. Jace wouldn't stop her, but he wouldn't want her to leave. He'd leave it to her. He hadn't talked her out of her move to Buttrose and Banks, but he hadn't been happy about it.

He didn't even need to tell her; she could tell in the way his eyes followed her around the bedroom mournfully at 4am when she got out of bed.

"You need to go home and talk to him about this Clary. You need to talk this through with him before you make your decision. You have four months to decide what you're going to do."

* * *

><p>The wind was like a constant sharp slap against his skin but Jace barely noticed. The woman he loved was leaving him. He knew Clary well enough to know that she had kept this from him for a reason. And he knew that he would let her go if it was what she wanted.<p>

He wouldn't stop her from pursuing her dream. He wasn't that kind of man and he respected her enough to know she had her own aspirations which had never really had anything to do with him.

She didn't need him. Never had. She was a strong independent woman and no matter how much they loved each other, she would be alright by herself.

She would continue to flourish and grow. The only problem was that Jace wasn't sure he would be able to say the same about himself.

Over the six years they had been together, she had become an extension of him. She was like another heart he needed to live. Another brain he needed to think. Another body he needed to wake up to.

"Why?" he repeated in the same hoarse whisper.

Clary wasn't looking at him and it pained him to not see her eyes. But he wouldn't demand she look at him. It would hurt both of them too much; her to see the look of utter devastation in his, and him to see the steely determination to break his heart in hers.

"I didn't know how to tell you," she replied softly after a moment. Her white dress was stained at the hem and he could see she was shivering in the brisk breeze coming off the water. He so dearly wanted to wrap his arms around her but knew he couldn't. He felt like a dick not giving her his jacket, but for the first time in six years he chose to think of himself first. If she was going to leave him behind, then she had to deal with life without the benefits – no matter how small or insignificant – he could give her.

"You've always been able to tell me anything," he murmured. "You have no idea how it made me feel to read that email."

"Betrayed," Clary answered for him with a sigh. She turned to face him then and tears were staining her cheeks. He knew she hated herself right now for crying. Perhaps she hated herself for crying more than she hated herself for not telling him. "You hate me, I get it. I should have told you before. But I didn't know how."

Jace scoffed and kicked the sand between them viciously. His anger had waned upon seeing her tears, but at Clary's words it had regained its strength. "I don't hate you Clary. I don't think that's possible. But trust is something we've always said was important. How was I supposed to feel knowing you have kept something as big as this secret for three weeks?!"

"I – I guess I – Shit I don't know Jace."

She was frustrated. She had no right to be frustrated though and he snarled this at her, feeling a sick sense of satisfaction at the look on her face at his words.

"There is more than one person in this relationship Clary," he hissed with venom. The anger was sizzling under his veins. He shifted on the spot restlessly and pinned her with a hard glare. "I supported you when you left mum and dad's firm. I didn't like it, but I knew it was something you needed to do, and I loved you enough to deal with the crazy hours and hardly seeing you. But this? This is something I don't think I can deal with Clary."

"Loved…?" Clary whimpered.

Jace cursed under his breath. His word choice was poor. He had used past tense, but now was not the time to reassure her about his feelings. He had just told her that he could never hate her. If she needed reassurance because she was a woman then Jace was not going to give it to her. "Lots of couples do long distance relationships. If you'd have talked to me about this before making your decision, we could have talked things through," Jace swallowed thickly at the spark of hope in her eyes. "When were you going to tell me?" he finally asked, needing to know her answer. She honestly wasn't going to just tell him the day she left was she?

"I don't know. I've been trying to think of a way to bring it up. But you've been so happy lately and we've been so bloody perfect that I haven't wanted to ruin us."

"Pathetic excuse Clary," he snarled in her face before turning around and storming away. She had had four months to tell him.

"No Jace, it isn't pathetic!" Clary's shout got drowned out by a loud crash of a wave but he could hear her. "It was a huge opportunity for me. I know it's not the most convenient location, but-"

Jace let out a sharp laugh and stopped in his tracks. He was glad for the wind as the sharp sting of cold kept him grounded. "Convenient location? You being hours away from me isn't the issue here Clary. It's you not telling me before you made the decision to accept the job offer. Just because we're not married doesn't mean we aren't tied together. You should know that more than anyone. You don't just make your own decisions and hope that I won't ask why you are packing up your shit in boxes."

Her head was hung low and the red curls were being thrown about in the wind. Her white dress was clinging to her body under the force of the wind and she looked so gorgeous. Jace's heart seized up in his chest at how much he loved this woman, but sometimes love wasn't enough.

"I hate the position you have put us in Clary," and fuck did he hate it. She didn't know it, but in the pocket of his tux jacket, a small little box with a single solitaire diamond was safely nestled. It was probably going to stay there for a while now.

"I'm sorry Jace. You have to believe me, I'm so sorry."

Jace blew out his breath through pursed lips. "So am I Clary."

Because he was. He loved her, but she had betrayed him too much. He was sorry that he couldn't just put his feelings aside and accept her mistake. It was too great. Nothing could justify her actions.

Things had ended between them the moment she had pressed that single 'send' button and chosen her career over him.

* * *

><p><strong>Two days ago<strong>

"Jace!"

"Yes Isabelle?" Jace drawled from his sprawled position on the couch.

"Do you know the number for the Italian restaurant we went to for Clary's birthday last year?"

Jace thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Nope, I don't." Isabelle was folding washing next to him while they both watched some random sitcom on the television. Clary was still at work and Simon was out with some colleagues so it was just the two of them at Clary and Jace's place. Jace hadn't wanted to be alone tonight; Clary had called him two hours ago telling him she was staying back to finish some paper work. For some unknown reason, she had been distant lately and Jace wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do. To his relief though, they were still having sex – some of the best in their six years together, Jace thought smugly – but there was no denying Clary was acting weird. Jace just assumed it was her being busy at work.

When he had asked Isabelle about it, she had asked if he thought Clary was having an affair. Jace had laughed in her face and told her to stop being absurd. Clary would never cheat on him. Not after what she went through with Sebastian.

"Can you search for it on the internet? I want to take Simon's mum there for her birthday this year." Jace looked at his sister quizzically. Isabelle and Simon's mother did not get on too well these days; the older woman did not approve of the way her two grandchildren were being raised. "Hopefully I will manage to do something she approves of for once," Jace heard her add under her breath as she viciously shook a towel out before folding it and adding it to the growing pile of folded washing.

Jace sat up with a groan and pulled Clary's laptop towards him before firing it up. When he clicked the internet icon, he was told that his last session had unexpectedly closed. He decided to restore the previous session in case Clary had something important up. Three internet pages were restored but Jace ignored them and started a new web page to search for the restaurant Isabelle wanted.

After he had recorded the number for Isabelle to call the next morning he exited the page. He briefly scanned the page that was next on the screen and felt his blood run cold.

Something was not right about this page.

Something was so far from right that it took him ten minutes to wrap his head around the words on the screen in front of him.

* * *

><p><strong>Yesterday<strong>

"Jace!"

"Jace!"

"Jace!?"

"You called?" came the familiar drawl from behind the bathroom door.

Clary smiled to herself. Carefully, she stepped out of the shower and strutted to the closed door. Steam thickly surrounded her and she could smell the fragrance of her favourite soap heavy in the air.

With a sultry smirk she pulled the door open and struck a pose in all her naked glory for her boyfriend. She had done this a few times in the past and Jace had positively loved it, not letting her leave their shower – and then their bed – for hours after. To her surprise though, this time Jace didn't even drop his gaze to leer at her body. His eyes were steady on hers and there was no flush of arousal on his face.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Jace quirked an eyebrow at her. "Yes?"

Clary frowned for a brief moment before shaking off her trepidation. She looked up at him with her tongue running over her bottom lip in thought. "I'm thinking you should join me for a shower."

Jace huffed a dry laugh and alarm bells began to ring in Clary's head. Something was not right with Jace tonight. "Nope, not tonight. I want an early night. We're going to be having a big day tomorrow. I need my beauty sleep."

"Oh, ah, okay," Clary muttered dejectedly.

"Finish your shower Clary. I'll see you in bed," Jace said before reaching out and pulling the door softly closed in her face.

Clary stood staring at the closed bathroom door confused.

Jace had just turned her down. Jace never turned her down for sex.

Never.

Oh God, was she getting fat? Sure she was beginning to put a bit of weight on because of the long hours and stress eating, but Jace wasn't fickle like that was he?

Clary turned and stared at her body in the mirror. She found herself beginning to think she needed to lose a few pounds but then stopped herself when she realised that she would be doing it to make Jace happy. Sure, she always wanted to make Jace happy, but if he stopped loving her because of her weight, then he wasn't worth it. Clary was adamant about that. She was still her own person.

With a furrowed brow she walked to the shower and turned it off before the hot water ran out. Despite Jace turning her down, she supposed he had a reason; tomorrow was Maia and Jordan's engagement party. It _was_ going to be a long day.

Clary had planned the engagement party for Maia and upon Maia's request she had made it a black and white theme. Guests were required to wear either black or white while the bride and groom to be were to be the only ones in colour.

Clary had it on good authority that Jordan had hired a bright yellow tux with a green tie for the occasion. As she dried her hair in the mirror, she smiled to herself as she imagined the look of horror on Maia's face when she saw it.

Clary vowed to make tomorrow amazing for Maia. Her issues with Jace could wait until after the party.

She had something important to tell him, and it couldn't wait any more.

Her time was running out.

* * *

><p>Burt watched the young quarrelling lovers with a heavy heart. He let out a low whistle when the man turned and walked away from the woman. It was so final, like nothing between the two of them could ever be fixed. He knew young love. He knew the burning desire, the high emotions and the feeling of being indestructible. But he also knew that sometimes even the best drivers crashed and burned. Love was like that. Some got back up again.<p>

And some didn't.

"They just throw broken things away too easy," he murmured to himself while patting Benji's head. The old dog whined low in his throat and thumped his tail in agreement. Benji was broken. And so was Burt. But neither of them had thrown the other away just yet. They came from another time when people fought for what they wanted.

Burt sighed as he watched the young women. Her curls were still blowing wildly around her face in the brisk salty breeze. The white dress clung to her body and billowed out behind her. It was a tragic sight. She was like a candle whose flame was about to die.

It was a tragic sight yes, but it was also a beautiful sight.

* * *

><p>Jace didn't return to the party that night Clary found out later. After eyeing her up with a knowing look, Isabelle told Clary that Jace had left complaining about a headache.<p>

Clary murmured that she wasn't feeling well herself. She had only come back in to say goodbye to Maia. She looked dreadful she knew. Her dress was stained and ruined, her shoes were still back on the beach and her make-up was streaked.

It had felt like forever, but in reality the scene on the beach had only been fifteen minutes of her life. A tiny fragment of time, but its effects were devastating. Unable to chase after Jace and unable to go back to the party, she had sunk to the sand and cried. What was the point in holding herself together when there was no one to witness her fall apart?

The tide was coming in and the waves crept closer to her. It was long past sunset and the wind was freezing by the time she rose. She was covered in sand and salt and snot, but she couldn't gather the energy to care. She just needed to find Maia and let her best friend console her.

Clary was thankful Isabelle did not comment on the state she was in when Clary had found her. Isabelle had been sitting alone at a table looking bored out of her mind however that quickly changed when she spotted Clary. Isabelle had been up and over to her in seconds.

"Just go. I'll tell Maia that you needed to leave," Isabelle said in a soft voice as she tucked a lock of knotted hair behind Clary's ear.

"Did Jace tell you?" Clary asked, surprising herself with how normal she sounded. Normally Isabelle was protective of Jace and so if she knew, she would have ripped into Clary long before now.

Isabelle frowned. "I don't know anything except that you look positively awful. I don't need to know what's happened between you and my brother. Go home, take a shower and then talk to him about it."

Clary opened her mouth to thank her but Isabelle held up a finger and pressed it softly against Clary's lips. With a soft smile she inclined her head and whispered in her ear. "He still loves you, just so you know."

Clary knew it, but somehow she didn't think it was going to be enough.

Love could only save so much.

Love couldn't fix bad decisions.

It couldn't fix betrayal.

Nothing could fix what she had done to Jace.

Nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>Sooo… a bit angsty for you…<strong>

**I will post up a second part to this chapter soon.**

**I was going to make it a long chapter, but then figured that I would get responses to it before proceeding with more. I don't think I've written angst before. How was it?**

**I didn't want Clary and Jace to have a 'happy ever after'. In real life, this is unrealistic. All couples fight, and one person's career can have devastating effects on relationships, whether it be from too much time at work or having to move elsewhere to accept a promotion. All couples learn from their mistakes and sometimes they grow stronger while sometimes others fall apart and move on because things can't be fixed.**

**I'd love to hear what you all think! Thank you to all my old readers and my new readers!**

**Love you all!**


	23. Ending: Part II

**So this is the last chapter I will be posting for this story.**

**I have loved the ride my imagination has taken me on, and I appreciate each and every one of you for reading this story and for those who have left me their thoughts, thank you.**

**This chapter begins where part one left. **

**Please don't hate me for the feels in this. xx**

* * *

><p>The light caught the square cut of the ring as Jace lazily twirled it around his left pinky.<p>

The irony of twirling an engagement ring around his pinky was not lost on him. As a kid, pinky promises were forever. As an adult, rings were meant to be forever.

Now he wasn't so sure.

He hadn't meant to take the ring with him tonight to Maia and Jordan's engagement party. His niece however had made him put the box in his pocket before walking out the door. The little girl had helped him pick it out three weeks ago and she had been nagging him to 'finally ask Aunty Clary to marry you already'. Much like her mother, Tessa was a force to be reckoned with when she wanted something done. Isabelle absolutely doted on her daughter, but it was Simon who was wrapped around the little girl's finger. Jace often gave his brother-in-law a hard time about how he caved to his daughter's every desire, but Jace knew that it was impossible to deny the little girl.

He himself had been the victim of the five year old's budding aspirations to be a teacher. The number of times he had sat on the floor cross-legged and counted to twenty and sung the alphabet was ridiculous. But as Clary liked to point out, at least he wasn't getting his hair done and wearing makeup. That was the kind of sacrifice Magnus eagerly made to his dignity.

He had been thinking about marrying her for a long time; six years together and they were in their thirties now. He would have married her years ago, but Clary had wanted to wait. To her, marriage was just a piece of paper, and why would they need that when they were already living like a married couple? Jace hadn't pushed her, and to be fair, they had issues like every other couple. Clary's job and her working hours had been their biggest problem for the past three years but Jace knew it was important to her, and she was important to him, so he didn't try to make her change. He respected her need to grow and better herself.

Jace on the other hand was happy doing what he did best: cooking and more recently, teaching people how to cook. He had every intention of teaching his niece and nephew how to cook so as to spare them their mother's cooking. James appeared to enjoy banging the plastic pan set Jace had bought him for his third birthday, and Tessa absolutely adored the plastic kitchen set he had bought her for Christmas last year. He had created a good number of cookie and cake creations for Taki's by experimenting in Isabelle's kitchen to give the two young children for dessert when he babysat them.

He adored Isabelle and Simon's children and had been eager for the moment when Clary was ready to settle down and have their own children. That was why he had bought the engagement ring. He had wanted to speed the process up and even though Clary had made her opinion clear on more than one occasion that people did not need to marry first to have children in the Twenty-First Century, Jace just wanted to marry her.

Which brought him back to his current predicament. He loved her yes, but her betrayal cut him deep and he didn't think anything could fix that. Especially not marriage.

Why she hadn't just told him when she had first received the job offer, he did not know. Why she chose to accept it without telling him, he would never figure out. The secrecy and the plotting behind his back hurt more than he liked to admit and he found himself asking why he didn't spot anything was wrong before.

Sure, he knew she had been distant, but he had pegged that down to her long hours. Now he wasn't so sure. Perhaps she had been avoiding him. It wasn't like Clary to avoid something though, but it was the only reason he could think of. Unless she had been ashamed of her decision? Or perhaps she had been afraid to talk to him about it in case he had tried to stop her?

The questions and possible answers were running riot in his head to the point where he did not notice the front door opening and closing. It was only her voice that cut through the clamour in his head.

"Jace?"

Even the sound of her voice still set his heart beating wildly. He looked up with cold indifferent eyes and drank in the sight of the woman who had broken his heart. She was still beautiful even with her wild hair, mascara streaked face and dirty dress. She was barefoot and Jace noticed that the nail on one of her big toes had torn off. Blood was dripping down over her toe, but she didn't seem to notice, or if she did, care. She looked so small and vulnerable to him in that moment and he longed to draw her into his arms and tell her it would be okay.

That they would be okay.

But they weren't and they couldn't be okay, no matter how much he wanted to hold her.

"Clary," he acknowledged finally. He saw her eyes narrow slightly at his frosty tone but she did not say anything about it. She merely watched him watch her. She didn't say anything about the ring that was still on his finger. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"I think we need to talk," she finally murmured and walked towards him. She did not sit on the seat next to him; rather, she sat on the floor opposite him. Their little glass table with its coffee rings and stray papers was all that separated them. Another barrier.

"It might be too late to talk," he murmured back while watching her pick at her finger nails anxiously. Her left knee was bobbing up and down and her toe was still bleeding. He took the ring off his finger, put it back into its little box and then put the box back into his jacket pocket. He would think about it another time.

He leant back in the seat and watched her with cool eyes. She looked terrible. Finally, unable to take the sight of her in a pain he could easily fix, Jace stood and walked to the kitchen. He pulled out the first aid kit and grabbed a tissue, a disinfectant wipe and a band-aid. He didn't want to give her false hope that he was forgiving her, but her toe needed to be tended to.

He worked in silence, first dabbing at the blood with the tissue and then running the disinfectant wipe across her toe to clear it of sand and dirt and germs. She had sliced her toe up good. He was sure it had to hurt her, but she never gave any indication that she was in pain. He carelessly tore apart the plastic wrapping on the band-aid and gently wrapped it around her toe. He didn't move after he was done, even though he knew he should. He spent a few more moments wiping the dried blood off her foot with the disinfectant wipe before standing slowly.

"Thank you."

Jace nodded his head stiffly and went to throw the rubbish in the bin. Clary was still sitting in the same spot as she had been before, but this time Jace walked around and sat down opposite her on the floor.

No more barriers.

"Let's talk," he finally said after a moment of the two of them staring at each other in expectation.

Jace watched as Clary closed her eyes and blew out a breath. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I should have told you, I know. I just…" She gave a small helpless gesture that meant absolutely nothing, yet at the same time it meant everything.

"You were a coward," he said for her. He watched her eyes dart down and her teeth come out to bite viciously on her lip, but she didn't deny it. "You accepted that job offer Clary." His voice cracked towards the end. This was tearing him apart. "Why would you do that and not talk to me about it?"

"I shouldn't have done that," she murmured and then she looked him square in the face. "But it's not like it meant any-"

Jace didn't let her finish. He didn't need to hear her excuses.

"Shouldn't have done that?" he echoed bitterly. "There was more than one thing that you shouldn't have done Clary." He watched as a tear slipped down her cheek. Unlike at the beach, he wasn't going to catch this one for her. And she was going to say 'it's not like it many anything', he knew it. He hadn't been able to bear hearing those words coming from her. It meant everything. "I don't think we can fix this."

"But-"

"No buts Clary. You should have told me from the beginning."

"I know," was all she said. He was right. She should have told him about the job offer. She should have reassured him that she loved him and that to him, her accepting it must have been like a betrayal of epic proportions.

They descended into silence again and neither knew how to break it.

Sometimes words couldn't fix everything.

This was one of those times.

* * *

><p><strong>Four weeks ago (flashback)<strong>

"So what, you're going to accept the job and then call them up next week and tell them you changed your mind?"

Maia's incredulous voice spoke volumes about how crazy she thought Clary was.

Clary nodded her head decisively as she sipped at her cup of tea. "I want the job. You have no idea how much I want this job Maia. Everything in me is crying out for it, but I can't do it. Not really. I can't leave Jace behind."

"Well why don't you just reject it right now?"

Clary smiled thinly and carefully explained her words. It was important Maia understood her reasoning. "I want to be able to know that I accepted my dream job Maia. I want to be able to have that experience. But a dream job doesn't even come close to leaving Jace. I'm not going to take that risk."

"Are you going to tell him about this?"

Clary shook her head. "No, it's not something he needs to know. I think if he knew, he would tell me to go for it. But he won't come with me. And really, what's the point of my dream job if I don't have him with me?"

Maia's entire expression was one of disbelief. Clary continued. "And besides, I don't want to put him in an awkward position. If he knows I turned down the job because of him, then it will make him feel bad. I know it."

"I still think you're being stupid saying yes and then calling up to withdraw your acceptance."

Clary hummed in response. "I'm very unprofessional aren't I?"

"Just a bit."

Clary smirked. "Good. I'm thinking about taking a break from work anyway. Did I tell you that I've spoke to the doctor about getting pregnant?"

Stunned silence radiated from Maia for a moment before, "You what?" she practically screeched. The old woman at the table next to their eyed them with distaste.

Clary grinned feeling rather proud of herself for throwing this at Maia. "It's just talk at the moment. Jace doesn't know I'm thinking about it. I know he wants kids though. Marriage isn't on the cards yet, but I think it's time I had a baby. We both adore Isabelle and Simon's kids, and I've seen the way Jace looks at me when I hold James. He wants kids, but for the past five years I've been telling him no."

"So what, you're just going to throw yourself at him and say 'let's make a baby'?" Maia's voice was full of disbelief.

Smirking, she nodded. "Yep! I think he's rather liking all the sex we've been having lately. We went to Isabelle's place last week and well, let's just say I'll never look at their bathroom the same way again."

Maia held her hands up with her face one of pure disgust. "Please! No more details. I don't want to know everything about you and Jace. Come on!" Clary grinned and Maia noted something about her best friend. She was positively glowing. "You're really happy aren't you?"

"Yes, I really am."

"Well, I hope for your sake Jace never finds out what you turned down for him. He has told you over and over about how important honesty is Clary. This is the most dishonest thing you've ever done while with him."

Clary nodded her head solemnly. She fingered the edge of her cup and pursed her mouth while thinking about the ramifications of her decisions. "I know. Believe me. I know." And she did. She knew that if Jace found out that she had kept this from her, he would be beyond pissed off. She would have to tell him, she realised. She couldn't keep something like this under wraps.

_Soon_, she promised herself. She would tell him soon.

* * *

><p>Jace was tapping his knee and Clary was looking around the room thinking about the life they had built over the past six years. They had made so many memories here and she had hoped that they could make so many more. She could just imagine a little boy or girl running around this room with Jace chasing after them. The thought made her smile even in a painful situation. If only she had taken Maia's advice and not emailed them to accept. If only she had talked to Jace and told him about how she had turned the job down over the phone and how she had said she couldn't leave Idris.<p>

Suddenly, something dawned on her. Jace didn't know about the phone call did he? Clary mentally flashed through her inbox and realised that Jace would have only seen the email about her accepting the job offer and then her telling them she would call them.

She gasped loudly and Jace's eyes shot to her. Anger, betrayal, sadness and confusion lingered within their golden depths and it broke Clary's heart to look at him. But she could fix this. She knew she could.

"You read the email didn't you?"

Jace's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched but he didn't reply. She knew he did.

"You know what upsets me about this?" Jace attempted to interrupt her but she held her hand up and he snapped his mouth shut. "You know what upsets me about this?" she tried again. "That you think I would really leave you behind. That our love and our life means nothing to me. That's what upsets me." Once again, Jace tried to say something but Clary glared at him. "No, my turn," she told him hotly. "You read the email, but you don't know what happened after that, do you?"

Jace's lips were still pressed tightly together and Clary raised herself onto all fours and crawled towards him in a rush. He did not move backwards, but he made no move to reach for her. When she was almost face to face to him, Clary finally said the words she should have said weeks ago. "I turned them down. I never accepted that job offer Jace. I turned them down!"

Jace rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Bullshit Clary. I read that email. I know you said yes."

"But that's the thing Jace! I didn't! Not really. I mean, sure, I did say yes, but I never meant it! Don't you see? I love you more than I could ever love any job!" Jace was shaking his head slowly. Clary knew it would take some time to sink in that she wasn't leaving him. That she didn't value her career more than she valued him.

"But you said before on the beach that you had to say yes," he finally ground out.

Nodding her head vigorously, Clary rushed out, "I did have to say yes. I needed to say yes for myself. I needed to know that I had at least accepted my dream job. But I would never have left you Jace. Never in a thousand years! Don't you get it? I want you! I need you! I want to get married and have your babies and grow old with you! I want to fight with you and then have wild make up sex. I want to learn how to cook an egg and I want to teach you how to draw a person and not stick figures. I want to give you the world Jace." She was panting after that monologue and judging by Jace's face, she hadn't just wasted oxygen.

When he didn't reply, she blinked quickly. "I want the world with you Jace," she murmured.

Jace was still silent, yet Clary could see his mind working. He raised his hands to his hair and pulled at the strands. Finally he made to stand but Clary reached out to grip his shoulder. He was pulling away from her, she realised with a sinking heart. "I- fuck, I need a minute Clary. Can you get out of my face please?"

Clary pulled her hand back slowly and looked up at Jace with wide eyes. He looked torn and lost and so beautiful. She realised she was a fool, an idiot to have played this game. Maybe it didn't matter to Jace that she wasn't really leaving him. Maybe it was the secrecy and her going behind his back that was affecting him so.

Either way, Clary longed to know what he was thinking.

She longed to know if things could be okay.

She didn't know how she would survive without him.

* * *

><p>"<em>I want to get married and have your babies…"<em>

Those nine words were spinning around in Jace's mind. Everything else that she had said was lost to him as soon as she spoke those words.

She wanted babies. She wanted to get married.

Everything Jace had ever wanted with her had been carelessly tossed into a speech that was supposed to make him stay. And it was working. Damn it was working.

As he walked to the kitchen with the intention of knocking back a finger of whiskey, he knew he would have to think long and hard about this. He would never understand her reasoning. If she had no intentions of taking the job, then why wouldn't she have told him? His earlier thoughts from the beach about how he would have let her go surfaced to his mind, but he pushed them away. Of course he would have let her go. He wouldn't have been happy with it, and it would have been hard. Maybe that's why she didn't tell him? To stop him from feeling conflicted that she chose him over her dream job?

And boy was he feeling conflicted. It wasn't fair that she should have to give up her dreams for him. But she never asked him, so he didn't know how he would have responded. He would have told her to do it. But it wouldn't have made him happy.

As he pulled the bottle down from the cupboard and grabbed a glass, his gaze kept flicking to Clary. She was still sitting in the same place as before. Her long hair covered her face from his view but he knew what he would see. Tears. Her sobs were soft, but he could see her body heaving with each shuddering breath she took.

Sometimes, crying quietly with a broken heart was the hardest thing a human could do. He knew her heart was broken. He had just walked away from her after she had poured her heart out to him. Essentially she had offered her heart up and now it was Jace's decision whether to destroy it. He didn't want to. He knew if he destroyed her heart, he would be destroying his own. Living without Clary wasn't something he could ever imagine now that he'd had her in his life for so long.

She was an extension of him. The better part that he needed to live.

Call him mushy or over dramatic, but for Jace, she was his everything.

He knocked back the whiskey and leaned against the kitchen counter in thought. He thought about the ring in his pocket and the promises that were meant to come with that. Was Clary being serious when she had told him she wanted to marry him and have children? Or was that a rouse to keep him. She knew how much he wanted both. Would she be prepared to deliver the goods?

He poured another whiskey and then capped the bottle. He didn't want to get drunk tonight. He just needed something to ground him. Whiskey seemed to do that. He meticulously cleaned the glass he used and then set it on the draining board. Finally, he spoke.

"I think I can understand why you didn't tell me Clary. But that doesn't make things better."

He saw her head shoot up and her gaze flick to his. It was like a punch in the gut to see her mascara streaked face and to know he was part of the reason for it. He knew she wasn't just crying because of him though. No, she was crying for herself. Self pity was a terrible thing.

"I'm sorry Jace," she murmured barely loud enough for him to hear.

He took a deep breath and then dived into the deep end. "We're you serious about marrying me and starting a family?"

His words were probably the last thing she expected from him. He could tell he had caught her off guard. Regardless, she nodded her head slowly. "Yes."

One word and his entire world just changed. He felt immediately lighter and a smile threatened to break out on his face. Just because she was offering him what he wanted didn't mean the situation was any better though. It was a situation he was willing to work through with her however.

And he knew they would both work hard to stay together. So many couples these days threw things away. When a relationship was on the brinks of breaking, so many people just walked away. Not Jace though. And he refused to let a woman like Clary get away from him. There was no one else in this world better for him than her. Yes she kept a secret from him and yes it hurt. But their love was strong enough to overcome it he was sure.

It would take time and effort, and it wasn't going to be easy. But for now, Jace was looking forward to the make-up sex. Especially now that they were trying to start a family. Getting Clary pregnant was going to be a lot of fun.

Clary's eyes widened as she watched him approach. He knew she could see the hunger on his face and when he lowered himself to the ground next to her and grabbed her face between his hands he heard her let out a little gasp. When he kissed her, he tasted salt and sand. He could taste her sadness and her love and her lust. She was his to consume.

They never did make it to their room that night. Jace stripped her out of her dress and she tore her way through the buttons on his shirt and even though it wasn't the best sex they had ever had, it reminded them both of their love for one another. It was fast and it was hot. He growled and she gasped. He pulled her hair roughly and she scored his back with her nails. By the end of it though, they lay in each other's arms knowing that things were going to work out. They would get through their problems and they would do their damn hardest to stick by each other.

Because that's what love was about.

* * *

><p>Clary looked at the young child with sadness. The little girl of about six was sitting on her mother's knee clearly terrified at the idea of going to see the dentist. It had been a long time since Clary had been a child in a dentist yet she remembered how scary it was.<p>

Fortunately for Clary though, she had false teeth now. There was no more scary dentist visits for her. She was here escorting her youngest granddaughter to get her braces put on. The poor girl had been teased relentlessly in school because of her buck teeth and now finally she was getting them fixed. Clary smiled as Helen jiggled her leg in anticipation for her name to be called.

"Why are they taking so long Grandma?" Helen whined.

Clary laughed at the impatience that was so familiar to her. Just like her mother, Helen was. Unlike her mother though, Helen had inherited Clary's fiery red hair. Her mother Lily, was the spitting image of her father, with a talent for cooking much to Jace's pride. Their other daughter Emma was a mixture of the two of them. Genetics had blessed Emma with her father's hair and Clary's eyes, and much to Clary's happiness; neither of her daughters had inherited her crazy hair.

It had been bad enough dealing with her own hair as a child. She couldn't imagine being a mother to a young girl with hair like hers. Jocelyn and her had been through so many tantrums about knots getting caught in brushes when Clary was a young girl.

Both her baby girls were all grown up now. Emma was the eldest and she had been born almost a year after they had been married. Lily was born two years later.

For twenty three years both her girls had been the apple of their parent's eyes. Then Emma got married to the boy next door. Jace had almost had a heart attack the day he found the eighteen year old boy sneaking into his eighteen year old daughter's room. It had taken Clary quite some time to reassure him Emma was old enough to have boys over and that if he tried to kill the young boy, Clary would have to divorce him. That had cooled him down quickly and much to Emma and Mark's shock, he had invited Mark around for dinner that next night.

Lily on the other hand had met her future husband after a whirlwind of flings. The two were apprentices together but Tomas was fired after accidentally starting a fire while flirting with Lily. He hadn't held any bad feelings towards her for that and while it wasn't a conventional romance, the two moved out together and set up their own restaurant. With Jace's help of course.

Her two beautiful daughters had blessed her with five equally beautiful grandchildren. Julian was the eldest of Emma's brood, and he had joined the Navy after finishing school. Clary hadn't seen him in two Christmases much to her disappointment. Edward was doing a trade apprenticeship to become an electrician while Cleo was off exploring the world on a year-long backpacking adventure. Clary often thought she worried more about Cleo than Emma did. The young girl was a free spirit who didn't like to be tied down to one place.

Lily had two children, and there was a seven year gap between the two. Will had been the troublemaker of the family growing up. On more than one occasion Clary had helped him write an apology letter to a business owner or the old lady with the cat down the road when he was a teenager. Much to Lily and Clary's relief though, he had decided to pursue a career in law rather than being on the wrong end of the law. He was currently interning at a criminal law firm. The youngest of Lily's children was Helen who was turning fifteen next week, and who was still sitting restlessly in her seat for her name to be called.

"Helen Blackthorn?" the young assistant called and Helen let out a little squeal of excitement before scrambling off her seat and making her way down the hall.

"Come on Grandma!" She called behind her. It wasn't as easy for Clary to move these days and she smiled at Jace as he hefted himself up using his walking stick and helped steady her walker.

"Come along Love. They'll be on by the time we get into the room at the rate you move." Even over the years their good natured ribbing and teasing hadn't died off.

Clary looked at the wrinkled and aged skin on the back of her hands. She once had had beautiful hands that had drawn beautiful things and wrote beautiful words. Hands that had held her daughters and hands that had helped Jace at his sickest. Hands that had hugged and hands that had wiped away tears. Hands that were growing frailer every day.

She had grown old faster than she had wanted.

But she had grown old with Jace, just like she had promised all those years ago while covered in salt and snot and sand.

She had grown old with him and had babies with him and had loved him every second of every day. She had never let go once. And neither had he.

Because that's what their love was about.

_Fin._

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><p><strong>Oh gosh, the feels I got from this chapter.<strong>

**I hope I ended this story well. And I hope that you have enjoyed this story. **

**Thank you for all the love! **


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